Let's talk about A Life of Errands

Byron · Post by **Byron** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 1:15 am

Elizabeth, it asks not only what is a poem, but also where does it exist in its cultural landscape. So you see it plays against itself in the never ending search for enlightenment. Just as much fun for me.

Albert says hello and Byron 'sends his regards.'

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 1:26 am

Hey Byron!

Ah, well see, I missed that part, pulling from it only as I did for the moment. Here I STOPPED what I was doing [on the computer, but not on this site], just to come back to say that perhaps you'd like to return when we get into the interpretation phase

. And, here you are, interpreting, even as we speak! So, hope to see you later, if not sooner, here! Or, if not you, perhaps Albert would care to join us! We can even give him his own box, if he likes! Fun all the way around ~ yes

?

~ Elizabeth

Tchocolatl · Post by **Tchocolatl** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 4:03 am

Yes indeed, this dear old planet is a real tower of Babel (Candel?/Albert?/Byron?). Great.

I was wondering who and when I'll get tell "Ey! the last century etc. etc." because there is always somebody to do it. Makera you are this lucky one, this time. Instead of pedant I prefer to say accurate people, because this is what they are to me, as well as December 31, 1999, is the last day of the last month of the last century (Unfortunately I drive crazy accurate persons even if I appreciate them a lot.) because 2000 is a better symbol to picture a brand new century in people minds. This is call "poetic license", I think.

Lizzytysh, you would not dare to read my thought, would you? And yes, for the coffee, more or less, it is a friendly sentence usually used between drinkers, and I like this exercise also.

Makera · Post by **Makera** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 5:01 am

Hi Albert~

Definitely deserving of the "Order of the Garter" for your services to wit against the forces of obfuscation and bovine scatology. (Perhaps that should read 'porcine scatology'?)

If you are familiar with that brilliant British series "Yes Minister" & "Yes Prime Minister", you may remember the 'alternative' interpretations for the various titles' initials.

Always found it fascinating how much perspicacity is required to be able to tell 'sh*t from clay'. (Think about that for a minute!) Very difficult without...well... you know.

Not as risky as finding out the difference between a Coral snake and a King snake...unless you know the rhyme.

Give my regards to Byron,

Love,
Makera

Makera · Post by **Makera** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 5:11 am

Hi Tchocolatl~

You are absolutely right, my friend! That is why everyone decided to celebrate it on that date. Your "poetic license" definitely earns you a 'pass' on that. Bravo!

(Does that mean you score a '0' for that one then?

)

~Makera

Helven · Post by **Helven** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 5:34 am

I can put here why I find this thread quite useful, as well – but not only funny. Such a description of “objective” elements permits to reveal a lot of various – insignificant, at first sight – details. We, probably, don’t realize their presence or just don’t attach special importance to them perceiving a piece of poetry as the whole. But each of them may help to discover some “additional” meanings of that “whole”. And they (the meanings) grow up during the process of interpretation when looking at the details we say, “Yeah, okay, we have this feature here… But what does it mean?”
And it’s useful also to share our observations with each other because each of us is able to notice something that was overlooked by the others.
(But, of course, it’s important to turn, one fine day, to the interpretation itself

).

Makera · Post by **Makera** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 8:48 am

Helven (Tanya)~

Very well put; lucid and appropriate.

Love,
Makera

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 10:41 am

I'll have that coffee with you, Tchocolatl

~ even if it's you there, me here. And "Give My Regards to Broadway........" ~ on the Turn of the Century at 2000. You/we

weren't alone! Seemingly, much of the entire world was confused, or used their poetic license

! [I'd say, "Take that 0 and run!," however, I'll use my second incident of poetic license and say, "Take that 0 and stay!"

~ I like your being here, and look forward to how our ~ with you in it ~ analysis is going to grow

.] On a special, "day"-long documentary, I watched the various ways people brought it in around the world ~ the entire world. The differing ceremonies and celebrations were marvelous

! Poetic justice worldwide, bringing the world together again, during that brief but significant time, to share in a spirit of joy, gratitude, and reverence. And no worldwide computer shutdowns, nor any huge, dramatic, intentional tragedies, as feared, either. It was a night/day of relief and phenomenal and awesome beauty.

Yes

, absolutely, Helven! I also thought about how this exercise is great for people, for whom English is not their native language. Not to mention for those [like me] for whom it is! The use and application of seemingly simple words can have far-reaching meaning and impact ~ especially with Leonard. The details are in the meaning, the meaning is in the details, the details are in the meaning. I have also noticed, as I've been doing this, how words and phrases jump off the page with me, and I tuck away for later their "meaning" [as it strikes me, at the moment

! You know how that can be

].

I think our professor's choice of poem was perfect and [as always] deceptively simple

Watching what each of us brings to its interpretation is going to be very interesting. As you say, the growth process will finally, one day, grow up to be an interpretation. And wasn't [the] growing up fun

! Albert, if he comes/stays may even want to climb out of his box!

So, back to the drawing board

. My next observation is that Leonard uses 5 commas; 1 colon; 1 apostrophe; 1 hyphen; and 9 periods. [And my paper is getting so marked up, I have to count and recount and recount and.....hope I did it long enough

].

NOW ~ I need to de-observe an earlier "observation" of mine; discovered the discrepancy when I went to Blackening Pages copy to confirm the number of punctuation marks ~ because my hard copy really is all marked up. Can't believe none of you pointed out the error

[and that I didn't get a PM from Tchocolatl

]. One more example of that trait of magnanimity that Helven has spoken of

. The way the poem is on the screen in Blackening Pages is NOT the way it printed out on paper! I have the hard copy that I'll happily mail to the Confirmation Committee, if need be

! Other lines and words extended far enough to the right, while printing [and the margins are duly set at standard widths], that there is no apparent reason for the word "Commission" to have wrapped and ended up flush-left beneath the line that it's actually in, but it did

! Hence, there no longer is [and never was

] one line with just one word

.

Now, back to bed. Need my sleep. I'll be having coffee with Tchocolatl in the morning before class, though ~ care to join us

? In fact, anyone

is welcome to join us and when it's time for class, they can go their way, if they prefer, while we go ours

into Sohbet's land of interpretation

, wherein we still have a long way to go

.

Goodnite

.

~ Elizabeth

Helven · Post by **Helven** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 5:22 pm

The narrator uses “Sir” as a form of address (twice) as if he would conduct a dialogue and his interlocutor would be a man.

By the way, is "a form of address" a correct grammar term in this case?

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 5:35 pm

Yes, Helven, "Sir" is a form of address

!

~ Lizzytysh

Sohbet · Post by **Sohbet** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 5:55 pm

This observation comes dangerously near interpretation rather than observation but I'll make it anyway. Most of the words in this poem are very common, everyday words-- the sort of language we use for daily conversation. There are a few, however, that are a little different, at least to me. I'll appreciate other people's viewpoints here. The words are discern, fetching, rigor, crushed (in this context), enlivens, whip down (?). Do we commonly use this last word (phrasal verb)?

I think it could be helpful if we were to para-phrase each sentence to ensure we all are playing with the same toys. A good way to do this is to use the "in other words" we often use in talking before we answer someone.

In other words, the first sentence states that a person who in old age has a life of service to others is lucky.

Makera · Post by **Makera** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 9:36 pm

"Whip down" (or - out, up etc.) is a common expression to me; is it not to Americans? Canadians share many English expressions with Oz & Albion.

~Makera

Byron · Post by **Byron** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 10:33 pm

discern etc., etc., (love this punctuation here) are 'grist to the mill' for young Albert. No extra ordinary words there for him. The 'cultural landscape' begins to spread the 'horizons' of this gathered coterie.

Byron · Post by **Byron** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 10:56 pm

To be serious for just a wee moment. I believe we should (I hate the word 'should' because it acts like a dictatorial finger pointing the reader/listener in the 'right' direction) as I say, I think we should beware of contributers who are evidently intoxicated by the exuberance of their own verbosity. It is up to all of us to exdigitate with regard to this exercise we have been set.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 11:20 pm

Well, whoops ~ thought you had left

. Glad to see you back, Byron

.

~ Albert's overseer in Byron's absence

Let's talk about A Life of Errands

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