Thank you for this varied and informative ramble. The contrasting styles and subject matter make for interesting reading. I do take issue with your praise of Ogden Nash’s comments as “brilliant”, since much of the most enjoyable and creative literature is enriched by the use of smilies and metaphors. In particular I think that Nash’s criticism of the use of “the Assyrian” where it is clear enough that the poet refers to an army, is quite simplistic. Overall, your rambles provide much to think about and enjoy.
Thank you, David, for this enjoyable and eclectic post. I certainly remember studying Ozymandias in high school in Queensland during the 1960s. I always liked the poem, though I found our teacher’s analysis rather gruelling at the time. I particularly enjoyed the final poem you included—Ogden Nash’s take on similes and metaphors made me smile. Other than that, I must admit poetry has never quite been my thing, and I do not have any favourite history poems of my own to add. Still, I appreciated the range you shared here.
I spent some time examining my shelf of poets, thinking that the proffered topic was Conquerors and warfare. I did not find the short poem that I wanted, but in looking I remembered my fondness for A.E. Housman's :
*************
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries
These , in the day when heaven was falling,
The hour when earth's foundation fled,
Followed their mercenary calling
And took their wages and are dead.
Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
What God abandoned, these defended,
And saved the sum of things for pay.
**************
And that reminded me of an age when an American intellectual wrote this:
***************
Concord Hymn
Sung at the completion of the Battle Monument, July 4, 1837
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.
*************
Those are the best lines, thank you, Emerson.
And, what is the poem, I thought by Raymond Carver (Search has not helped here), something like this:
....and what did they think, the Greeks I mean, when they heard that Cyrus the Great, emperor of Persia (coming for them), had branded the Aegean, forced red-hot shackles into the current, to force it to his will......
????????
Note: Google's AI offered to write such a poem for me....ah, the times we live in. I believe Raymond Carver wrote the poem, a fine one.
While I have not, with further effort, found Carver's poem, I do stand corrected and am glad to share a fragment from a fine essay which set me straight. Thank you, Arwen1968.
“ Forcing Poseidon to put up with a pontoon bridge across the Hellespont was bad enough in itself – Xerxes really should have stopped short of whipping the sea when the storm destroyed the said pontoon bridge! Then there was the small matter of burning temples and destroying statues as his army passed over Greece (including even an attempt on Delphi itself)… I think you get the picture. “
Yes, I turned Xerxes into Cyrus, and his whip into shackles. Must try to do better.
Thanks Janice - you’re doing great! I very much appreciate your response and I am hugely grateful that you took the time to read my Ramble - best regards, David M 🫡
Voices is a lovely poem, thankyou for bringing it to my attention. I love Cavafy’s work but I wasn’t familiar with this one. Very much appreciated - best regards David M
What a great way to start my morning—revisiting poems of my youth and meeting some new ones—all with historical reference. Thank you.
Thank you for this varied and informative ramble. The contrasting styles and subject matter make for interesting reading. I do take issue with your praise of Ogden Nash’s comments as “brilliant”, since much of the most enjoyable and creative literature is enriched by the use of smilies and metaphors. In particular I think that Nash’s criticism of the use of “the Assyrian” where it is clear enough that the poet refers to an army, is quite simplistic. Overall, your rambles provide much to think about and enjoy.
Thank you, David, for this enjoyable and eclectic post. I certainly remember studying Ozymandias in high school in Queensland during the 1960s. I always liked the poem, though I found our teacher’s analysis rather gruelling at the time. I particularly enjoyed the final poem you included—Ogden Nash’s take on similes and metaphors made me smile. Other than that, I must admit poetry has never quite been my thing, and I do not have any favourite history poems of my own to add. Still, I appreciated the range you shared here.
Wonderful selection! At your invitation, I’ll offer Wislawa Szymborska’s “Reality Demands” http://friko-diamonddesigns.blogspot.com/2012/02/reality-demands.html and Geoffrey Hill’s “Mercian Hymns” (excerpts are here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48461/mercian-hymns). Thank you for the prompt. A wonderful way to spend some time this afternoon!
Great choices! I wasn’t familiar with either poem - I’ve been missing out big time, I love these. Thank you so much 🫡👏
Best regards
David M
When I was young, Ogden Nash was everyone's favourite poet. We all memorised the short ones....
The Cow: The cow is of the bovine ilk; One end is moo, the other, milk.
The Catsup(Ketchup) Bottle: First a little, Then a lottle.
Lovely memories.
Thanks for sharing Steven … I had much read copy of The Golden Trashery of Ogden Nashery. Wish i still had it!
I spent some time examining my shelf of poets, thinking that the proffered topic was Conquerors and warfare. I did not find the short poem that I wanted, but in looking I remembered my fondness for A.E. Housman's :
*************
Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries
These , in the day when heaven was falling,
The hour when earth's foundation fled,
Followed their mercenary calling
And took their wages and are dead.
Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
What God abandoned, these defended,
And saved the sum of things for pay.
**************
And that reminded me of an age when an American intellectual wrote this:
***************
Concord Hymn
Sung at the completion of the Battle Monument, July 4, 1837
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.
*************
Those are the best lines, thank you, Emerson.
And, what is the poem, I thought by Raymond Carver (Search has not helped here), something like this:
....and what did they think, the Greeks I mean, when they heard that Cyrus the Great, emperor of Persia (coming for them), had branded the Aegean, forced red-hot shackles into the current, to force it to his will......
????????
Note: Google's AI offered to write such a poem for me....ah, the times we live in. I believe Raymond Carver wrote the poem, a fine one.
While I have not, with further effort, found Carver's poem, I do stand corrected and am glad to share a fragment from a fine essay which set me straight. Thank you, Arwen1968.
waterbloggedbooks.wordpress.com -
“The Battle of Salamis: Retold in Poetry II”
by Arwen1968
“ Forcing Poseidon to put up with a pontoon bridge across the Hellespont was bad enough in itself – Xerxes really should have stopped short of whipping the sea when the storm destroyed the said pontoon bridge! Then there was the small matter of burning temples and destroying statues as his army passed over Greece (including even an attempt on Delphi itself)… I think you get the picture. “
Yes, I turned Xerxes into Cyrus, and his whip into shackles. Must try to do better.
Thanks Janice - you’re doing great! I very much appreciate your response and I am hugely grateful that you took the time to read my Ramble - best regards, David M 🫡
I really loved this ramble. Mikhail Lermontov's poem Borodino comes to my mind, about Russian defeat to French under Moscow in 1812.
Thanks Late Wisdom! I need to read the Borodin poem … 👍🤠🫡
Cavafy is a favourite - possible my absolute favourite too. I read ‘Voices’ at my grandmother’s funeral
Voices is a lovely poem, thankyou for bringing it to my attention. I love Cavafy’s work but I wasn’t familiar with this one. Very much appreciated - best regards David M
An excellent collection and a great illustration. Thank you