[New-Poetry] Sounding Bunting

[David Graham]

On 2/3/09 9:19 AM, "David Baratier" <editor at pavementsaw.org> wrote:

 
> 
> Go back to mapping of poems.
> The key to Bunting is sound spoken aloud.
> 
> 
> Be well
> 
> David Baratier, Editor
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Good point.  I'd say that precisely here is the link with Pound, though.
For all their fabled "difficulty" of surface & allusiveness, both Bunting
and Pound are wonderful when read aloud.  At their best.

Four white heifers with sprawling hooves
         trundle the waggon.
   Its ill-roped crates heavy with fruit sway.
The chisel point of the goad, blue and white,
         glitters ahead,
   a flame to follow lance-high in a man¹s hand
who does not shave. His linen trousers
         like him want washing.
   You can see his baked skin through his shirt.
He has no shoes and his hat has a hole in it.
         ŒHu ! vaca ! Hu ! vaca !¹
   he says staccato without raising his voice;
ŒAdios caballero¹ legato but
         in the same tone.

--Basil Bunting.  fr. *Odes* 30: "The Or0tava Road."

For what it's worth, I like Bunting much much more than Pound, myself.

====================================================
David Graham
grahamd at ripon.edu
Home Page:
http://web.mac.com/drjazz/

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