A lovely poem I received from the Minstrels… Can’t ever thank them enough!
“For John Keats, Apostle of Beauty”
Not writ in water nor in mist,
Sweet lyric throat, thy name.
Thy singing lips that cold death kissed
Have seared his own with flame.
— Countee Cullen
On a more practical note, am trying to locate a violin teacher in Atlanta. Task doesn’t look very daunting given the massive South Indian population in this part of the world. Yet no favourable results….:-(
arunshanbhag says:
Whats the story with Countee – did she have a crush on Keats?
Re the violin lessons – try your local elementary school. The Violin instructors there prolly give outside classes, or will know other instructors who do.
… or post at the Balaji Temple there.
April 20, 2004 — 6:35 am
Lakshmi says:
I want to learn Indian classical music, Arun. Can an elementary school help me with that? Got some details from the Balaji temple.. Need to follow up on that.
As for the poem, here is part of the background and commentary that came along with it.
‘From “Four Epitaths”.
In response to today’s poem [ #1497, “Give Me Women, Wine, and Snuff” ], Mr. Ramasubramanian recalls a response to Keat’s famous epitaph that posited that Keats’ name ought to have been written in the sky in letters of fire.
Mr. Ramasubramanian was unable to recall that poem, and neither can I — but what I did find was three poems by three poets whose poems have been featured in these pages before. One by Oscar Wilde, one by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and the one I wish to feature, the one by Countee Cullen.
In contrast to Longfellow’s and Wilde’s drawn out, overly-flowered, and in the end, forgettable verses (included below), Cullen, in four short lines, burns into your brain an absolutely unforgettable image: Keats, the poet of such awesome passion and power, that even the cold lips of Death himself are set afire. The power and genius of poetry is the ability to capture powerful, complex ideas in very short spaces. Longfellow and Wilde certainly make clear the depth of respect and feeling each has for Keats. But it is Cullen, in my opinion, which most succeeds in making Keats unforgettable.’
April 20, 2004 — 10:30 am
arunshanbhag says:
To Keats
Sorry, didn’t realize it was an epitaph. Should have read carefully. BTW, Longfellow is a Bostonian and his home here is open for tours.
The School violin teacher, if she (or he) is herself not an accomplished violinist, may know one of her friends who teaches at your level. Violinists usually keep in touch with each other, as do writers, poets, etc.
Good Luck
April 20, 2004 — 1:35 pm
hariputtar says:
the romantics
A few years back, i was reading about Curt Cobain’s death; the same article lead me to read about the episode of Jim Morrison’s death (he was found in the bathtub much like this painting perhaps, Death Of Marat ). And the article quoted … Whom the gods love, die young .
These things eventually led me to read about Keats et al. Keats, Shelley and Byron were close friends, apparently. Keats died at the age of 26 (1821), Shelley died at the age of 30 (1822) – and Byron lived to the ripe age of 38 (1824). Byron quotes in Don Juan , apparently from some greek apothegm: “Whom the gods love die young”. [ … more related quotes … ]
(Shelley had to leave England because of his radical ideas on reform / atheism etc. Byron also had to leave, because of *various* reasons. Shelley’s wife, Mary, apparently wrote the original Frankenstein. And Mary’s half sister had borne a child from Byron. Byron, btw, was bisexual – this may have been the important one amongst the *various* reasons.)
cheers.
April 21, 2004 — 2:33 am
Lakshmi says:
Re: the romantics
Hey Sonal! Thanks for all that trivia.. Like to read such stuff!
April 21, 2004 — 7:13 am