deepundergroundpoetry.com
The Knack
( a Quatern )
A tribute to Elizabeth Bishop
(1911-1979)
and her poem “One Art”
I tell myself it doesn’t matter much,
When at the end of day my tally’s off.
A post-it note reminding me some such,
To go and buy the syrup for my cough.
So what if I forgot and lost the note,
I tell myself it doesn’t matter much.
I’ll make some tea & honey, let it float,
I keep it in my pantry or the hutch.
So while I’m thinking which I’ll fix a lunch,
Make finger sandwiches to have with tea.
I tell myself it doesn’t matter much,
I’d just as soon a bagel spread with Brie.
I have the knack, a skill, I’m just the girl,
For anytime I find myself in Dutch.
When I can’t find a hanky, string of pearl,
I tell myself it doesn’t matter much.
In Dutch = in trouble
#ElizabethBishop
Published 9th Nov 2018
Author's Note
Entered in the DUP competition “The Man-Moth”.
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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Anonymous
- Edited 30th May 2019 3:51pm
9th Nov 2018 00:44am
<< post removed >>
9th Nov 2018 00:51am
Jade, in "One Art," Bishop portrays an attempt to convince the reader she steps beyond feelings of loss by feeling nothing. Repeated references to the "art of losing" can be compared to the adage "don't sweat the small stuff" ( albeit not very small ). Each time Bishop claims something’s not a "disaster," she wants the reader to believe the steps she has taken are out of being a part of her own life, so that she can view the big picture of life in general. She steps out of the personal realm of experience, i.e. - she distances herself from participant to observer.
That being said, by the time she claims the loss of her beloved isn’t a disaster, she’s stepped far, far away from her actual life. The reader suddenly realizes just how big her picture is; ergo, if you want to get through life mastering the art of loss, you’ve basically got to distance yourself from it completely. Which then renders the art of losing actually impossible to master.
While Bishop's "One Art" is regarded as her greatest work in the villanelle form, we are impressed with your attempt to convey the essence in your own signature of Quatern. We found it to be confidently rhythmic and flows without any interruptions from beginning to end.
Thank you for your entry; best of luck in the comp.
That being said, by the time she claims the loss of her beloved isn’t a disaster, she’s stepped far, far away from her actual life. The reader suddenly realizes just how big her picture is; ergo, if you want to get through life mastering the art of loss, you’ve basically got to distance yourself from it completely. Which then renders the art of losing actually impossible to master.
While Bishop's "One Art" is regarded as her greatest work in the villanelle form, we are impressed with your attempt to convey the essence in your own signature of Quatern. We found it to be confidently rhythmic and flows without any interruptions from beginning to end.
Thank you for your entry; best of luck in the comp.
10th Nov 2018 9:01am
9th Nov 2018 12:46pm
Lovely scansion, some neat humour on the human experience - and a great tribute to Elizabeth Bishop's "One Art" poem.
10th Nov 2018 8:59am
Thank you very much, Josh, that’s everything, no stone left unturned. And most kind of you.
9th Nov 2018 11:36pm
Agreed that it is a fitting tribute and I never knew the phrase "in Dutch" until today. Your syllable counts are perfect- how big a deal is that to a quatern? (When writing to form, I sometimes fudge a +1, -1 here and there if it sounds okay and seems necessary)
Thank you for your kind assessment, Kumar, and for stopping in for a read. And with the Quatern form, the meter & syllable count is key, and a must.
No fudging allowed.🚫
No fudging allowed.🚫
13th Nov 2018 11:14am
13th Nov 2018 2:19pm
