tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837868564131564237.post3277193865731679393..comments2022-03-26T08:52:27.885-07:00Comments on Present Everywhere, Visible Nowhere: >Rae Armantrout's "Prayers"Damon McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11580615707122694874noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837868564131564237.post-73720862562191676152008-11-19T20:14:00.000-07:002008-11-19T20:14:00.000-07:00>I appreciate your attempt to give this poem a ...>I appreciate your attempt to give this poem a chance. I suspect that's the step after getting the vomit taste out of your mouth. For me the theme is disconnectedness. It's as if the poet has no idea what's going on and hardly tries to make sense of it before resigning to stare blankly at the floor. There's something happening here and you don't know what it is, do you Ms. Armantrout?oudev oidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04636764686106165447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837868564131564237.post-62089246935477587532008-11-20T20:34:00.000-07:002008-11-20T20:34:00.000-07:00>i don't know if disconnectedness is the th...>i don't know if disconnectedness is the theme or not, but it's certainly a tool armantrout uses between stanzas (you should read her other poems...). it's kind of been the chic thing for awhile not to make sense. in fact -- it's kind of funny -- i gave a reading last night and read a good handful of narratives, which are relatively easy for the ear to follow. somebody actually said to me -- it's a relief to listen to poems that actually make sense. i thought that was a weird thing to say...but nonsense (or difficulty or uber-intellect for all the literati out there) is one of poetry's dominant forms of currency these days.as for me, i very much appreciate your dylan reference.Damon McLaughlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11580615707122694874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837868564131564237.post-35508007517414697272008-11-21T17:21:00.000-07:002008-11-21T17:21:00.000-07:00>i haven't read her other stuff so that'...>i haven't read her other stuff so that's a helpful context. I was seeing disconnect also from the younger generation or democrats or whatever. Unlike you, I don't see irony; only disgust and holier-than-thou sarcasm. She really beats things into the ground by insisting on using words like "pain" and "torture" while presumably being surrounded by Obama backers.Last two lines: I read the italicized "this" as refering to the general excitement or current public involvement regarding politics, followed by her annoyance about the current results or circumstances.oudev oidahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04636764686106165447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837868564131564237.post-60855714475065478012008-11-24T11:59:00.000-07:002008-11-24T11:59:00.000-07:00>It is rather ridiculous to read this poem as i...>It is rather ridiculous to read this poem as if it was actually...a person used to praying and the connotations of "answers" to prayers. As if.You know.The inherent law of the Creator...well. Ms. Rae is obviously a beginner at the actual recording of prayer noises, mentalities and all the back pain/hard work that go into real prayer.It's a nice effort if you ask me and the second time I've read the poem.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11023871171456340729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837868564131564237.post-34777563572980399642012-03-05T09:29:13.000-07:002012-03-05T09:29:13.000-07:00the last lines are good...the last lines are good...teresanoreply@blogger.com