RE: poem: Metridium
The metridium is political *despite* its nature if you use this OED route of
definition:-
Politics: the art and science of government
Government: the act or manner of governing
Govern: rule, control, influence, sway
This definition does not rely on human existence. It is not homocentric.
Nor does it need anthropomorphism in order to embrace other life-forms.
The keywords, control / influence / sway, can be applied to the influence of
planets upon comets, comets upon dinosaurs, waves upon coral, daylight upon
brain activity, and the influence of the shape/features/character of the
parent who affected you most (good or bad) upon the shape/features/character
of the kind of person you are more likely to fall (or not fall) in love
with.
Many of our "choices" are to a large degree ruled by exterior
control/influence/sway. Once again, I don't find this reductive or
demeaning. In the same way that being right handed doesn't make me feel
that I am more , being subject to the politics of pheromones doesn't make me
feel that I am less.
Because of the everyday politics of my existence I am only too aware of how
"harmless" jokes can be deeply political.
However, I don't consider this Metridium thread to be in any way sinister.
It is not an avoidance of human politics, merely an assertion that politics
includes the non-human, and is involuntary and unavoidable, even by a polyp.
That's a great word...polyp. I can hear Rowan Atkinson saying
it...deliciously..."polyp".
Labi
----- Original Message -----
From: Mills, Billy
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 1999 3:05 PM
Subject: RE: poem: Metridium
Hi
The Metridium and others like it are political because we as a species seem
determined to pollute its habitat beyond a level at which its existence is
sustainable, not because of anything in its own nature. As I'm sure you'd
agree, an interesting area for poets to explore.
I'd argue that anthropomorphic treatment of other species is a way of making
ourselves feel a little less bad about how we do these things to our fellow
passengers: see, they do it too, they're just like us really.
Jokes are political: deeply. And, of course, one way of refusing full
responsibility for the implications of what we write is to claim 'joke
immunity'.
Maybe the subject of responsibility for the implications of what we write
is a fit one for a forum devoted to -- what is it now: British _and Irish_
poetry?
Billy
-----Original Message-----
From: pain [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 1999 2:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: poem: Metridium
You surprise me Billy, was it not Swift who wrote: "The Elephant or, The
Parliament Man". Do you think that it might be possible I was being, a teeny
weeny tongue in cheek when I wrote this poem? Wasn't it I who actually
argued in the previous letter that coral does have its own life independent
of ours, but Labi, wrote that even the Metridium is political -- and I took
on board this and voila the result. I am sure it would be much better to
just describe the lifestyle of the Metridium, mention those lovely
siphongraphs they have, the sepals, and indulge in some serious descriptive
poetry about
how they feed and mate --But I couldn't resist a few little jokes. . . And
then Labi responded in kind -- I can't see anything wrong about that, as it
is taking place between two consenting adults in a forum devoted to --what
is it now, British poetry.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|