Tuesday 5 April 2016

Hart Crane's Forgetfulness



Chioggia


Forgetfulness is like a song
That, freed from beat and measure, wanders.
Forgetfulness is like a bird whose wings are reconciled,
Outspread and motionless, -
A bird that coasts the wind unwearyingly.

Forgetfulness is rain at night, 
Or an old house in a forest, - or a child.
Forgetfulness is white, - white as a blasted tree, 
And it may stun the sybil into prophecy, 
Or bury the Gods. 

I can remember much forgetfulness. 


Hart Crane (1899-1932)



11 comments:

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    1. Many thanks Bob, having seen your flamingos I am honoured!

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  2. and...
    __I cannot remember what I said I'd never forget. _m

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    1. Me too , my better half is always telling me off for forgetting things. I'm the classic absent minded type.

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  3. Beautiful poem - shall keep it to read at the next Poetry. Also glorious bridge - Venice?

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    1. Chioggia at the southern end of th Venice lagoon is known as little Venice. To get to Venice itself you need to take a ferry to the island of Palestrina and then a bus to Venice lido and then a ferry to the city of Venice. It's a journey of 90 minutes. Distance, maybe 60 kms.

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    2. Palestrina is lovely to visit on a bicycle.

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    3. Yes, it is. And at the southern end there's an area of sand dunes that has increase in size considerably over the last 100 years. It is now a lovely area to visit, no crowds and very scenic. The ferry station is ' by request'.

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  4. Your beautiful picture reminds me of another little town in Italy near Ferrara, called Comacchio; like Chioggia it is also called "little Venice" on the Po river Delta. It has a beautiful bridge called Trepponti (three bridges). The shooting of a 1950s film " The woman of the river" with Sofia Loren took place there. Greetings Maria x

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    1. If I'm in Ferrara again I shall certainly visit Treponti. I like Ferrara, the walls and all the old men standing on corners with their bicycles. Italy is a really lovely country and the people are just wonderful.

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    2. Comacchio is a pretty quaint town, worth a visit. Thank you, Gwil for the kind words about my country and its people.

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