When we lose metaphor, we lose our capability to dream ourselves and our descendants into beauty.
There is everyday language, and the language used to speak of that which is sacred. In our indigenous languages even the everyday was metaphorical.
We need poetry in all of its aspects.
May Sarton said: "Poetry exists to break through to below the level of reason where the angels and monsters that the amenities keep in the cellar may come out to dance, to rove and roar, growling and singing, to bring life back to the enclosed rooms where too often we are only 'living and partly living'."
5 comments:
Perfectly timed and beautiful thoughts about metaphor. I am at this moment working on a response paper for a Native American lit class in which I am trying to discuss the importance of cultural metaphor. Would you allow me to quote the first three sentences?
God, do we need our poets right now! Poets against the war, poets commenting on politics, racism, injustice, love, nature, religion, and the rest. Like Brian Turner reporting on the war in Iraq with his poems in THE HURT LOCKER. Like the wandering Chekov poet who sees pianos in the clouds. Like at sunset here in the Northwest when I see raspberry jam running down the ridges on Mt. Rainier. Let's hear it for the poets. Let's all write more poetry, and read it to each other. Let the wind carry our words to the dark places. Let the light and lightning within us crack through the sadness, and put focus where it needs to be, to go.
Glenn
Yes Karen, you may quote.
And always good to hear from you Glenn.
Yes Karen, you may quote.
And always good to hear from you Glenn.
Yes Karen, you may quote.
And always good to hear from you Glenn.
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