The Joy of Touching Lips - Poetry of the Kiss | ENC 1102, Study notes of English Language

Download The Joy of Touching Lips - Poetry of the Kiss | ENC 1102 and more Study notes English Language in PDF only on Docsity! The Joy of Touching Lips Poetry of the Kiss Patrick O’Day October 2007 Table of Contents Introduction 3 April's Amazing Meaning by George Dillon 5 April Love by Ernest Dowson 6 The Bobolink by Elizabeth Allen Akers 7 Book I. Ode IX. by Horace 10 Catullus, Considerable Kisser. by Catullus 11 Deadly Kisses. by Pierre de Ronsard 12 For You. by James Riley Whitcomb 13 A Hymne to Venus, and Cupid. by Robert Herrick 14 I Begged a Kiss of a Little Maid. by Robert Johnson Underwood 15 Kisses. by Thomas Campion, 16 Poets 17 Final Kiss: Editors Notes 21 Bibliography 22 2 April's Amazing Meaning April’s amazing meaning doubtless lies In tall, hoarse boys and slips Of slender girls with suddenly wider eyes And parted lips; For girls must wander pensive in the spring When the green rain is over, Doing some slow inconsequential thing, Plucking clover; And any boy alone upon a bench When his work’s done will sit And stare at the black ground and break a branch And whittle it Slowly; and boys and girls, irresolute, Will curse the dreamy weather Until they meet past the pale hedge and put Their lips together. George Dillon, 1965 5 Notice, the entire poem is one long sentence not allowing the reader a full breath until the moment of “the kiss”. April Love We have walked in Love's land a little way, We have learnt his lesson a little while, And shall we not part at the end of day, With a sigh, a smile? A little while in the shine of the sun, We were twined together, joined lips, forgot How the shadows fall when the day is done, And when Love is not. We have made no vows—there will none be broke, Our love was free as the wind on the hill, There was no word said we need wish unspoke, We have wrought no ill. So shall we not part at the end of day, Who have loved and lingered a little while, Join lips for the last time, go our way, With a sigh, a smile? Ernest Dowson, 1922 6 The Bobolink Once, on a golden afternoon, With radiant faces and hearts in tune, Two fond lovers, in dreaming mood, Threaded a rural solitude. Wholly happy, they only knew That the earth was bright and the sky was blue; That light and beauty and joy and song Charmed the way as they passed along. The air was fragrant with woodland scents; The squirrel frisked on the roadside fence; And hovering near them, “ Chee, chee, chink? ” Queried the curious bobolink, Pausing and peering with sidelong head, As saucily questioning all they said; While the ox-eye danced on its slender stem, And all glad Nature rejoiced with them. Over the odorous fields were strown Wilting windrows of grass new-mown; And rosy billows of clover-bloom Surged in the sunshine and breathed perfume. Swinging low on a slender limb, The sparrow warbled his wedding-hymn; And balancing on a blackberry brier, The bobolink sang with his heart on fire, 7 Book I. Ode IX. See, in what a depth of snow Keen Soracte’s head is bound; Here the woods are bending low, There in ice the current ’s bound. Break the chilling air with flame, Animate the genial fire; Give me wine of proudest name, Cups that Genius may inspire. To the Gods permit the rest, They can still the Winter’s blast; Shift the North into the West, And forbid the rage to last. What’s to-morrow never ask, Make the passing day your own; Spare not Love’s delightful task, Till the day of youth is flown. Meet the whispers of the fair , If the moment ’s ripe for bliss; Then her wanton frolic share , Then deserve—or steal—the kiss! Horace, 1st Century b.c.. 10 “Soracte’s head” refers to a mountain near Rome Catullus, Considerable Kisser . How many kisses, Lesbia, miss, you ask would be enough for me? I cannot sum the total number; nay, that were too tough for me. The sands that o’er Cyrene’s shore lie sweetly odoriferous, The stars that sprent the firmament when overly stelliferous— Come, Lezzy, please add all of these, until the whole amount of ’em Will sorely vex the rubbernecks attempting to keep count of ’em. Catullus, 1st Century b.c. 11 Lesbia is the name Catullus used to address his beloved Clodia in verse. (“Catullus”) Deadly Kisses Ah, take these lips away; no more, No more such kisses give to me. My spirit faints for joy; I see Through mists of death the dreamy shore, And meadows by the water-side, Where all about the Hollow Land Fare the sweet singers that have died, With their lost-ladies, hand in hand; Ah, Love, how fireless are their eyes, How pale their lips that kiss and smile. So mine must be in little while If thou wilt kiss me in such wise. Pierre de Ronsard, 1928 12 I Begged a Kiss of a Little Maid I begged a kiss of a little maid; Shyly, sweetly, she consented; Then of a sudden, all afraid, After she gave it, she repented; And now as penance for that one kiss She asks a poem—I’ll give her this. But how can my song be my very best When she, with a voice as soft as Circe’s, Has charmed the heart from my lonely breast— The heart, the fountain of all true verses? Why, oh, why should a maid do this? No—I must give her back her kiss. Robert Johnson Underwood, 1931 15 Notice the objectification of “the kiss” in this selection. Wherefore did she thus inflame My desires, heat my blood, Instantly to quench the same, And starve whom she had given food? I the common sense can show; Kisses make men loth to go. Had she bid me go at first, It would ne'er have grieved my heart; Hope delayed had been the worst. But ah! to kiss and then to part! How deep it struck, speak, gods, you know. Kisses make men loth to go. My Love bound me with a kiss That I should no longer stay. When I felt so sweet a bliss, I had less power to pass away. Alas! that women do not know Kisses make men loth to go. Yes, she knows it but too well, For I heard when Venus' dove In her ear did softly tell That kisses were the seals of love. O! muse not then though it be so, Kisses make men loth to go. Kisses Thomas Campion, 16th Century 16 Poets Allen, Elizabeth Akers (1832–1911): Elizabeth Akers Allen was a novelist, journalist and an occasional versifier. Born in Strong, Maine, Akers worked for the Portland Daily Advertiser for many years as literary editor. (“ Elizabeth Akers Allen”). Campion, Thomas (1567–1620) : Born in London Thomas Campion, was orphaned at the age of twelve. He attended Cambridge University from 1581-1584 but left without earning a degree. Campion’s works were based on Latin poetic rhythm, which unlike English poetry, uses the alternation of long and short syllables and not stressed and unstressed ones. Timing therefore and not stress was “the key to Campion’s poetics”. His famous lyric poem Rose-Cheek'd Laura, Come first appeared in Observations in the Art of English Poesy (1602). The publishing of Thomas’s “observations” motivated his contemporary Samuel Daniel to release A Defence of Rhyme in 1603. (“Thomas Campion”). Catullus, (87–c.54 B.C.): Catullus was born in Verona, Italy. At the age of twenty-five he traveled to Rome and fell hopelessly in love with Clodia, who he addressed in verse as “Lesbia”. Catullus, like Horace, is known as “one of the greatest lyric poets of all time”. Two of his most popular poems are Carmen 101 and Carmen 2 (On the death of Lesbia’s sparrow). (“Catullus”). Clare, John (1793-1864): John Clare was born to a very poor family near Peterborough in England; he started working at the tender age of seven. As a young man, Clare showed great literary promise. His first volume of poetry was published in 1820 and was well received earning him a fair (although brief) amount of fame. In the years to come a combination alcohol and poverty along with a declining public interest in poetry, led to Clare’s decline both as a poet and as a citizen. Clare spent the last 23 years 17 Johnson, Robert Underwood (1853-1937) Born in Washington, D.C. Robert Underwood Johnson was not only a poet but a diplomat as well. Founder of the American Poets' Ambulance in Italy, Johnson was decorated by the Italian government for his work as a diplomat. (“Robert Johnson Underwood”) Riley, James Whitcomb (1849-1916): Born in Greenfield, Indiana, James Whitcomb Riley was well known for his dialectic writing style, which gained him “enormous popularity” during his career. Riley’s popularity has waned since his death; nevertheless, he remains a very notable and often debated poet with a large mass of work to his credit. His works number nearly one thousand poems of various forms, most of which were common and familiar for the period. However, Riley was the first American poet to successfully tackle the form of the Villanelle with his poem The Best is Good Enough. Riley is also credited with the creation (at least in concept) of the ever popular Raggedy Ann doll. (“James Whitcomb Riley”). Ronsard, Pierre de (1524–85): Early in life the French Poet Pierre de Ronsard was a page and then a squire but his unfortunate deafness lead him to a less courtly and more academic lifestyle at the College de Coqueret where he became leader of the “Pleiade” and was named “Poet Royal”. Ronsard wrote many poem, often on the themes of love, death and patriotism. His best- known love poems were published in the Sonnets pour Hélène (1578). (“Pierre de Ronsard”). 20 Final Kiss (From the Editor) This anthology was initially begun with the theme of death, a subject (unfortunately) I, like so many others, am all too familiar with. I found, however, that my grief, which I have expressed recently in verse myself, has been sufficiently explored, or at least repressed, so that the reading of the expressions of other’s grief and sorrow was simply too depressing. So while waiting for the love of my life to return home and bestow upon my lips the privilege of touching hers, I decided the anthology would be about “the kiss”. I feel that this subject is universal and can be appreciated by all, man and woman, young and old, white, yellow, black, blue or green. I tried to choose poems, which showed various sides of the dynamic meaning of “the kiss”. Sensuality, love, life, death and hope, just to name a few. Of the works included, my favorites are The Bobolink by Elizabeth Allen Akers, (1891) and April's Amazing Meaning by George Dillon (1965). Both of these poems incite for me a sense of life, passion and hope and bring me to place I have been but did not realize I missed so deeply. I hope that the reader will enjoy the works that preface this note as much as I have, and I hope the reader, like myself, will be stirred to remember, and perhaps pursue anew, the many joys of “the kiss”. 21 Bibliography Allen, Elizabeth Akers. "The Bobolink." 1891. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. October 23, 2007. <http://www.columbiagrangers.org>. "Bobolink." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 31 Oct. 2007. <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9015817>. Browne, William. "Kisses." 1894. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. October 23, 2007. <http://www.columbiagrangers.org>. Campion, Thomas. "Kisses." 16th Century. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. October 23, 2007. <http://www.columbiagrangers.org>. Catullus. "Catullus, Considerable Kisser." 1st Century b.c. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. October 23, 2007. <http://www.columbiagrangers.org>. “Catullus.” The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. October 23, 2007. <http://www.columbiagrangers.org>. Clare, John. "Honey words make charms of blisses." 1837. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. October 23, 2007. <http://www.columbiagrangers.org>. Dillon, George. "April's Amazing Meaning."1965. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. October 23, 2007. <http://www.columbiagrangers.org>. Dowson, Ernest. "April Love."1922. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry. October 23, 2007. <http://www.columbiagrangers.org>. 22