Category: language
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Luisetta Mudie’s Climate Change and the Poetic Imagination
_____ Editor’s note: As we are challenged in the world by the scientific and technological changes we produce, a line of thinking has been emerging that the English language is not up to the task of allowing us to communicate well enough to address important issues as they arise. And because of the nature…
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Alley War Poetry
_____ Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, April 15, 1985 Announcers: Al Bernstein and Al Michaels Alley War Poetry The pugilists are in the desert, somewhere far from most of humanity and society. They are at a resort, however, a…
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The Lyric Minutiae (or the ee(cummings) in (katharine mcph)ee)
In a recent forum thread, the scanning of poems was touched on. It was asserted that one responsibility of the poet is to captivate the reader; such that if readers are losing track of theme and meaning, if we are not drawn in, the poet did not write the poem well; thus a significant difference…
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Li Bai drinking alone (with the moon, his shadow, & 43 translators)
The Tang poet Li Bai–a.k.a. Li Po, Li Bo and the Poet Immortal–left us over 1,000 poems. Besides these, he is also known by the way it is said he died. He supposedly drowned drunk, trying to embrace the moon’s reflection in the Yangtze River. Below are 41 English translations (from 43 translators (and counting))…
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Sonny’s Lettah by Linton Kwesi Johnson (LKJ)
Duration 3:02 _____ by Linton Kwesi Johnson (LKJ) Sonny’s Lettah (Anti-sus poem) Brixton Prison Jeb Avenue London, South West 2 Inglan Dear Ma Maa, Good Day I hope that when these few lines reach you they may find you in the best of health Ma…