Good readers make good writers

[sheenaghpugh]

O laith, laith were our gude Scots lords
To wat their cork-heeled shoon,
But lang or ere the play was played,
They wat their hats abune.

(Sir Patrick Spens, Anon)

At quarter to six the old cook came on deck,
Saying: fellows, it's too rough to feed you.
At seven p.m. a main hatchway caved in,
He said: fellows, it's been good to know you.

(The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot)

Moral? Not sure really - if it worked once it'll work again in a new setting? Or maybe: however contemporary you are, the more you read, and are aware of what's been done in the past, the more resonance you can create by using its echoes?

Great song, anyway.

Comments

creating by using echoes

[shauna gilligan (from livejournal.com)]

This is a lovely post, Sheenagh. I had to read the poems a few times and aloud, of course, and it was the rhythm and sense of a world that they both created which stuck with me. There must be something in the air, though, because I've blogged today about creating and reading as well :) Shauna

Re: creating by using echoes

[sheenaghpugh]

I think it's also something to do with the same narrative device being used to indicate the escalating crisis. I must link to your blog...