Dear friends,
Thanks very much for signing up for the Poetry Unbound newsletter. This is just a quick note to let you know you signed up to the right place. Beginning in autumn, this newsletter will serve as both a companion to the show, and a forum for those immersed in the pages of the forthcoming Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World. You can read more about what to expect in the About section of our Substack.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about a particular poem from the old Irish tradition. It’s called “The Song of Amergin” and from a book of mythology called The Book of Invasions. There’s a rich history to it, but deeper than the details of that history is the extraordinary detail of the poem. Here’s some of the opening lines:
I am Wind on Sea,
I am Ocean-wave,
I am Roar of Sea,
I am Stag of Seven Tines,
I am a Hawk on a Cliff,
I am shining tear of the Sun,
I am Fairest among Herbs,
I am Boar for Boldness,
I am Salmon in Pool,
I am a Lake on a Plain,
I am a Hill of Poetry …
What always moves me in this poem is the level of observation from the poet: ocean, deer, hawks, skies, plants, combat, fish, water, landscape … the poet is using each of these to invoke an “I am.”
I’m curious:
If you were to write a similar poem, what concrete, tangible things would you invoke?
I think I’d invoke the hare, the song thrush, the waves’ foam, the book, the pen, the touch of a friend, the sound of a voice.
Like I said, this is just a holding message, but if you fancy a chat, you can reply below. I’ll meet you in the comments. There are also a few dates for autumn releases and events below.
Thanks for being together on this enjoyment of poetry, friends.
Le meas is fiosracht / With respect and curiosity,
Pádraig
A few dates for the autumn:
Our next season of the Poetry Unbound podcast starts on September 26th. We have magnificent poems for you, and I am delighted for this season.
October and November see the release of the Poetry Unbound book! (You can pre-order it wherever you pre-order your pre-orders. Here it is on the American bookshop.org site).
In October and November, I’ll be doing a bunch of book launch events in Ireland, England, Scotland, Canada and the USA. In September, we’ll share the info across our On Being social feeds, on this Substack, and on my personal website.
I’ll be interviewing some poets at the delicious Geraldine R. Dodge Festival in Newark, NJ from October 20th-23rd. Find tickets here. It’s an amazing festival – you’ll be glad you went.
And lastly, if you fancy a retreat a few hours north of New York City, I’ll be delighted to meet you at the Poetry Unbound retreat at the Omega Center in Rhinebeck, NY from October 23rd-28th. You can register here.
PS: If you google “Song of Amergin,” you’ll come across the original Old Irish text, and a bunch of translations. Also, you might enjoy this sung version by Pádraigín Ní Úallacháin and a recited version by Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance.
I am dirty feet
I am black and blue swallowtail
I am all hands on deck
I am throat of a cave
I am every bird's wings
I am choppy waters
I am abundant and ubiquitous hydrangea
I am reflection of the fingernail moon in a still pond
I am great granddaughter of death by childbirth
I am laughter of her long-lived dance-marathon only daughter
I am Anna's cries and Leah's loose fit muu muus
I am lost dreams and loon-call love and latkas
I am also........
I am the scream of a swift heralding spring
I am a tree losing its voice by the falling of its leaves
I am the juicy first Lambada strawberry
I am a tree breathing its last in a fire
I am a clear river running over stone
I am the battlestone under Humbleton Hill
I am a kite, soaring over the moors, no line holds me