tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607719101484462692.post4044050515781279080..comments2024-01-23T12:27:05.258+00:00Comments on The Stone and the Star: MacLeish's 'You, Andrew Marvell': The Fall of Vast EmpiresClarissa Aykroydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08571136118573329263noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607719101484462692.post-72205574717161137612012-09-23T20:15:59.493+01:002012-09-23T20:15:59.493+01:00Funny enough, I always see it moving slowly, not s...Funny enough, I always see it moving slowly, not swiftly. It puts me in mind of the fact that, whatever appears to divide us in different countries, we all slowly succumb to the same darkness as the day ends. It also saddens me to think of how some of the beautiful locations mentioned in the poem are among the most troubled...David J McDonaghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16909505738468707485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607719101484462692.post-3894265789921411152012-09-23T19:11:41.799+01:002012-09-23T19:11:41.799+01:00Thanks for your comment! I think that is a wonderf...Thanks for your comment! I think that is a wonderful point about the "dissolve" effect. The poem always creates a strong visual arc in my mind and I think that's very much what I've been seeing. A swiftly moving map of the world, with occasional closeups, always fading. I don't think there's a word (or punctuation mark!) out of place in this poem.Clarissa Aykroydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08571136118573329263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-607719101484462692.post-68631100790900849702012-09-23T18:55:12.070+01:002012-09-23T18:55:12.070+01:00This is one of my favourite poems. I first read in...This is one of my favourite poems. I first read in in Mark Strand's introduction to The Making of a poem (which he co-authored with Eavan Boland). He emphasises the fact that there are only three punctuation marks (two colons and an ellipsis) and repeated use of the word "And". These elements create an effect which always reminds me of the "dissolve" effect in film: I can see in my mind's eye a film showing the different locations dissolving into one another. Beautiful!David J McDonaghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16909505738468707485noreply@blogger.com