After reading Keats and Dante

[poemisdue]

Paolo and Francesca, after Keats and Dante

The stirring moonlight held a mystic motion:
A sacred stray-light certain love is told
In winds and shadows plump with breath. Behold!
The arduous draft comes with a sharp commotion,
Whisper turns to song, from siren’s ocean.
In premonition’s lament, she foretold –
With eyes encrusted in a flaking gold –
Inferno’s clutch of spirited devotion.
Forewander down to Heaven’s hole, he tried
But not before the rapier was drawn.
Francesca’s love was dripping from his hands
Still when the two were buried, side by side,
With lips unmet – for ever in a dawn;
A Light the darkness did not understand.

[CasaMagni]

Some fine imagery there, you have a gift imho.

And I so much prefer the classic form than the modern 'styles'...

[Saturn]

Good work poemisdue, 'lips unmet' is a very Keatsian phrase if ever there was one, I honestly can't remember if it is one he used.

If it's your own phrase or not I really like it - either way; lovely imagery there indeed.

[poemisdue]

Aww thanks, Saturn. I don't think that's a phrase he specifically used, but I have been reading lots of Keats lately, so you might be onto something! When I was writing, I had in mind Rodin's sculpture, The Kiss — originally titled Francesca da Rimini. The way they are in a never-ending dawn of passion (the latin root of which is "to suffer") -- a sun rise where the sun never rises -- is verily god-like! It reminds me of the lovers on the vase in Keats's "Ode to a Grecian Urn."

And thank you, CasaMagni! I am in a poetry program so I sometimes post things I have not submitted for my courses here. I could see my very modernist professor take out her red pen if she read this one Do you also write poetry? I've not seen your work here, but I'd be keen to read it (:

[CasaMagni]

I'm afraid I haven't poemisdue. I think I belong to the John Hamilton Reynolds sect; namely 'one who pants for distinction but does not have the immortal power with which to command it'

And sorry to hear about your modernist professor setting you on the wrong path You have an appreciative audience here though.

[Saturn]

Let's not dismiss all 'modernist' poetry, or all any one kind of poetry.

There's room for all kinds of poetry here, ancient, medieval, romantic, modernist - it's wrong to dismiss everything not written in the 19th century or before or written in that very specific British early 19th century period style.

You may prefer to only read that but you forget you are reading the best of the best, that which has endured and lasted, the best authors.

There was a LOT of awful rubbish written then, as much as now.

You may not appreciate, like or understand 'modern poetry' or modernist or just prfer to only read Keats and his peers but I've read all types of poetry from all eras and there's great work in every style if you are open to trying something new, open to understanding outside of your comfort zone.

That's like saying you only like one style of music, or one kind of visual art, or one type of food; you're limiting yourself and not challenging your intellect or your senses.

I don't want this site to become a haven for people who worship only Keats and the romantic poetry era to the detriment of all others.

All are welcome, especially in this part of the forum, if anything I wish there were more different styles and voices [and members] posting in this part.

[CasaMagni]

You seem to be saying that the Beastie Boys are equal to Beethoven, and that you have a right to that opinion.

You have, but your opinion is nonsense. If that is too challenging for your intellect, well, that's not anybody else's problem. You further contradict yourself by saying 'there was a lot of rubbish written in previous centuries', which is exactly what I'm saying about modernism. The irony is lost on you.

And don't tell us what you want this site to become; if I remember correctly you were accused of trolling here before, and it's that sort of behaviour which has driven away most posters.

[poemisdue]

What a heated debate

I write more modern poetry as well but would have to agree that most stuff these days is rubbish, as one who studies it, although I really love some 20th century poets like Frost, Auden, Eliot, and Heaney just to name a few. My more modern poetry, however, goes to class and journal submissions.

And you should try writing, CasaMagni, even if it is just stream of consciousness style! You have the power the freeze things in time forever... if only that worked off the page as well. And be nice to poor Saturn!

Speaking of Romantic versus Modern writers, I've been trying to gather six people to take a group (zoom) class on either Yeats or the Romantics (with emphasis on Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats) through this scholar-ish lecturer I found in the dedication section of one of my poetry books. It's something like 40-60 euros for a 4-6 week class. If either of you are interested or know people who might be interested then that would be amazing

[Saturn]

I give up, and I have no idea where such vitriol is coming from CasaMagni.

I don't know why I bother with this anymore when you are so narrow minded and seemingly angry at me for some reason.

I merely suggest that this site [which i was entrusted with administrating 16 years ago, so I do have some say in who happens to it] should not become totally focused on the narrow interest of just Keats and the romantic poetry.

For your information also this site would have actually ended and been closed well over a decade ago if I had not time and time again intervened with the originator and host of it to keep it going, and also it would be right now overrun with spambots and fake posts if I did not delete them and ban them. The thing is actually falling aaprt because it has been abandoned and not updated for years I'm holding it apart with rubber bands and glue.

This site would no longer have existed since about 2007 if I had not been looking after so don't tell me I don't have any right to say what this site should be or not be.

I give up, I will no longer contribute, post or look after this site if that is how you feel, you can have it however you like.

If you blame me for the lack of posts and posters then I wil let it be and see how many people actually post.

I'm done, 16 years and this is my thanks.

Unbelieveable.

[CasaMagni]

I always thought the idea of a Keats forum being overrun with spam and trollers was suspicious, and that proper administration of the site was sorely lacking.

If we look back 10 or 12 years, there was genuinely informative and provoking discussion taking place here, before the situation was allowed to deteriorate and quality posters took their leave...

I find it interesting that you are not denying the accusation; I don't have the motivation to look up the exact post or posts involved in the trolling allegations, but I remember agreeing with the verdict of the critics at the time, and that the eccentricity of the relevant 'contributions' were not inclined to inspire confidence in the moderation of this place.

Thanks for bringing that initiative to our attention poemisdue; there are a number of interesting online ventures at the moment.