Ars Poetica

A poem should be palpable and mute
As a globed fruit

Dumb
As old medallions to the thumb

Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
Of casement ledges where
the moss has grown -

A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon
climbs

Leaving, as the moon releases
Twig by twig the
night-entangled trees,

Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,
Memory by
memory the mind -

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon
climbs

A poem should be equal to:
Not true

For all the history of grief
An empty doorway and a
maple leaf

For love
The leaning grasses and two lights above the
sea -

A poem should not mean
But be

-- Archibald MacLeish

I posted part of this poem on another blog.

One of the many good things about blogging is the ease in which you can cut and paste - if I had to type out this poem to get it here I would probably not do it, preferring to type out my own words and thoughts.

The simplicity of the words MacLeish has chosen in juxtaposition with the profound emotions he evokes amazes me. I could go over this poem line by line, day by day and still not get over the impact of these oh so simple words.

I think my favorite lines are (a poem should be)

Dumb

As old medallions to the thumb

You can feel the smoothness of the medallion against the ridges of your own thumb. Your sense of touch is heightened as you seek the bas relief that once existed but now is only a faint impression.

This poem gets me two ways...in the sheer beauty of the words and because he is teaching you how to write a poem at the same time.

What is odd is that I have posted only two poems so far on this blog and both have been penned by lawyers!