Pibroch (by Ted Hughes)

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LaurieAK
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Pibroch (by Ted Hughes)

Post by LaurieAK »

Pibroch

The sea cries with its meaningless voice
Treating alike its dead and its living,
Probably bored with the appearance of heaven
After so many millions of nights without sleep,
Without purpose, without self-deception.

Stone likewise. A pebble is imprisoned
Like nothing in the Universe.
Created for black sleep. Or growing
Conscious of the sun's red spot occaisionally,
Then dreaming it is the foetus of God.

Over the stone rushes the wind
Able to mingle with nothing,
Like the hearing of the blind stone itself.
Or turns, as if the stone's mind came feeling
A fantasy of directions.

Drinking the sea and eating the rock
A tree strugges to make leaves-
An old woman fallen from space
Unprepared for these conditions.
She hangs on, because her mind's gone completely.

Minute after minute, aeon after aeon,
Nothing lets up or develops.
And this is neither a bad variant nor a tryout.
This is where the staring angels go through.
This is where all the stars bow down.
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tom.d.stiller
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Post by tom.d.stiller »

A beautiful and desolate blowpipe tune.

Thank you, Laurie, for bringing it along. When did he write it?

I'll have to go into the Plath / Hughes story one of these days.

Is it true that the woman who followed Sylvia in Ted's life ended with a similar suicide?

tom
LaurieAK
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Post by LaurieAK »

Hi Tom~

When i saw the title, I had to grab a dicationary and look up "Pibroch" not expecting to find it. I thought it would be some obscure dialect term. But there it was, telling me of bagpipes...

I always want to know when things were written too. I found this recently in a rather obscure anthology (poems of doubt and belief) that was published in 1964. When I looked in Ted Hughes' collected poems, it did not appear in his own book until 1967 (if i remember right). I think by the way it was listed in the anthology, that 1964 was its first apprearance in print. It'll take a little more research to verify when it was actually penned.

Yes. In a mind boggling turn of events, the woman Hughes left Plath for, Assia Wevill ended up killing herself about 6 years later. Plath went through much efforts to ensure the safety of hers and Ted's 2 small children by taping around their door so no gas would harm them and leaving milk and bread. Assia on the other hand, killed along with herself hers and Ted's young daughter (also by gas).

If you are interested, and it is an interesting story whether you are drawn to their writings or not; I'd recommend checking out "Her Husband" written within the last few years (by Feinstein, i think). It would be a good overview of their lives for a new comer.

regards,
L
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tom.d.stiller
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Post by tom.d.stiller »

Hi Laurie,

I have to confess I had to use my dictionary as well.

I'll look at "Her Husband" as soon as I can get it, especially since I'm not left cold by at least Sylvia Plath's writing.

Thanks for your hints.

Cheers
tom
LaurieAK
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Post by LaurieAK »

I have a Correction: Her Husband is by Diane Middlebrook.

Elaine Feinstein wrote Hughes' biography, Life of a Poet...(also a good book).
I have to confess I had to use my dictionary as well.
well...you didn't have to 8) but thanks for the info!

As for Plath's poetry her writings are just about exclusively of the 'confessional' type. They stand alone without knowledge of her life but it does help explain them so much more.

Outside the 'lunatic fringe' some folks like myself just sort of stumble upon her poetry and/or her story and it becomes a source of endless fascination on many levels.

later,
L
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linda_lakeside
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Post by linda_lakeside »

Hi Laurie,

I read "The Bell Jar" some years ago and I know something of Plath's life, but I've not read her poetry. Poetry is something I've not really explored in a proper way. This is not a secret. As I've been so open and honest about a topic of such tremendous embarrassment, perhaps you could recommend a beginner's Plath poetry?

Thankin ya in advance of something I hope you feel obligated to do.

Linda.
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linda_lakeside
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Post by linda_lakeside »

Me again :roll: . I really have to think longer before pushing 'submit'. I also found the above poem to be... well you know.. that...

Linda.
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tom.d.stiller
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Post by tom.d.stiller »

Hey Linda, maybe you can take a look at this link. I believe it is not too bad a source for Plath poems...

Cheers
tom
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linda_lakeside
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Post by linda_lakeside »

Thanks for the link, tom. I'm such a ninny. I know I can look this stuff up, but like I said in another thread (maybe even this thread, who knows?) I'd rather talk to people about the books or CDs or whatever. Then I can go to the 'net if I want to. Maybe this is an inconvenient or unwelcome approach in a public, online fourm? I rather doubt it though. You rather doubt it though, too.

Linda.
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linda_lakeside
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Post by linda_lakeside »

Me again. :roll: . There should be a button for me for this. The web is only partly available to me in that one computer has a printer and one computer has an internet connection. There is an obvious solution. The obvious solution is sometimes not a high priority due to other commitments requiring the attention of a fiscally aware individual.
LaurieAK
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Post by LaurieAK »

Linda~

Thanks for bringing up The Bell Jar. I meant to say something about it to tom in my last post, but it fell out of my bwain.....

Tom~ The Bell Jar is Plath's only novel. It is highly autobiographical and a good read, too. (If you have not already read it).
That is a great link you found!!

I read the sylviaplathforum.com but don't contribute (except for a Plath inspired poem and poetry critique).
And am acquainted with the fella who has sylviaplath.info. A couple of the "bell jar" cover scans are from my books.
Other than that i pretty much don't have a cyber life surrounding Plath.

Linda~Other than that link...if you want paper in your hand try getting ARIEL. It is the bulk of the poems she wrote in the months before she died, being published posthumously by Hughes.

And Linda, please quit putting yourself down. :wink: You're not a ninny, etc....

And Linda, when you meet a poem you do not like please tell us that too!!

later,
L
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linda_lakeside
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Post by linda_lakeside »

Geez, Laurie,

You're asking an awful lot from me, don't you think? Don't do this, do that. Ok. All done. Yes, I like books. I like the way books feel in my hand, their heft, the way they smell, I like reading the acknowledgements and the covers, etc. Therefore, should I come across Ariel, and I will make an effort to find it, I'll take your advice.

However, that does not mean that I don't want access to good sites on Plath or anyone else of interest. There is a limit to how much I can save on my computer, but I do try. Garbage in, garbage out. I'm sure there's junk in here from the days when my brother owned this computer. There is probably a lot I can get rid of. A bit of a task. But worth it in the end if it can give me any more room.

Thanks, Tom again for the link, and Laurie thanks for the info and the instructions and criticism. Highly appreciated. Shall do.

See you guys,
Linda. 8) [/i]
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linda_lakeside
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Post by linda_lakeside »

Guess who? Hey, Tom. Thanks for a great link! Lots of good stuff in there. Yes, Laurie, I think I've hit pay-dirt.

Linda.
LaurieAK
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Post by LaurieAK »

hey Linda~

Your post prompted me to sit down and do some major computer clean up....got rid of tons of old pics and papers...squeaky clean and there is no lingering smell of Windex...

L
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tom.d.stiller
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Post by tom.d.stiller »

linda_lakeside wrote:Thanks for the link, tom. I'm such a ninny. I know I can look this stuff up, but like I said in another thread (maybe even this thread, who knows?) I'd rather talk to people about the books or CDs or whatever. Then I can go to the 'net if I want to. Maybe this is an inconvenient or unwelcome approach in a public, online fourm? I rather doubt it though. You rather doubt it though, too.

Linda.
I doubt it. It's division of labour, I think. I've already got the bookmark in my browser, so why should you be forced to spend your time searching for it again? Others will add the sites they know, and we all get a max of info with a min of work.
LaurieAK wrote:And Linda, please quit putting yourself down. :wink: You're not a ninny, etc....
And Linda, please quit putting yourself down. :wink: You're not a ninny. etc....

(Sorry, Laurie, for stealing your words, but I didn't have better ones. At least I credited you...)

Laurie, I read some Plath poetry, and I was aware of The Bell Jar. Actually, the last couple of times I was in the library I already had the book in my hand, along with Ariel, but I didn't feel I'd have the time right then to give her the attention she deserves. So I re-shelved both.

Probably my next trip to the library will end in me carrying home all available Plath, Hughes, and related books, coming back to SP after about twenty years...

Cheers
tom
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