Comments on: Seamus Heaney — ‘The Lift’ http://www.markmcguinness.com/index.php/seamus-heaney-the-lift/ A notebook of poems I read, a scrapbook of poems I write Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:17:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mark McGuinness http://www.markmcguinness.com/index.php/seamus-heaney-the-lift/comment-page-1/#comment-1231 Mark McGuinness Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:24:07 +0000 http://www.markmcguinness.com/?p=204#comment-1231 Thanks Stephen, glad it resonated for you. I hadn't really noticed 'tallboy' (apart from having to look it up). It doesn't seem charged for me the way 'jubilating' is - more like the birdtable, keeping the poem anchored in the real world of objects. I've not seen Heaney comment on 'Jeoffrey', I'm sure he'd be worth hearing on the subject. Maybe he'd do a 'compare and contrast' with Pangur Ban. Thanks Stephen, glad it resonated for you.

I hadn’t really noticed ‘tallboy’ (apart from having to look it up). It doesn’t seem charged for me the way ‘jubilating’ is – more like the birdtable, keeping the poem anchored in the real world of objects.

I’ve not seen Heaney comment on ‘Jeoffrey’, I’m sure he’d be worth hearing on the subject. Maybe he’d do a ‘compare and contrast’ with Pangur Ban.

]]> By: Stephen Streed http://www.markmcguinness.com/index.php/seamus-heaney-the-lift/comment-page-1/#comment-1229 Stephen Streed Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:42:25 +0000 http://www.markmcguinness.com/?p=204#comment-1229 I like what you've done with Heaney's "jubilating" and "birdtable." The word "birdtable" needs to be ballasted a bit more analytically, given its prior weight, before the birds can take their jubilating flight there, though, at least it seems to me. The "birdtable" is the compactured solidity -- in word and deed -- upon which alone the birds may be seen to be capable of "jubilating," in word and deed. It is a kind of anti-coinage or faux paleologism of a word which has been compounded in speech (or at least is seen by Heaney as having been compounded there), but not in print before Heaney. In other words the word is an account or comment upon a concrescence of mental image and reality which is then atomized and pulverized by the "new-making" jubilating birds, the word, "jubilating," of their new-making in the poem, by the poem. I would be curious to know how you think "tallboy" is working. I too think "For consider my Cat Jeoffry" is one of the greatest poems in the English language. In fact, I was looking to see if Heaney had ever commented on it critically. He undoubtedly would have appreciated it. Perhaps he felt it needed no comment. I like what you’ve done with Heaney’s “jubilating” and “birdtable.” The word “birdtable” needs to be ballasted a bit more analytically, given its prior weight, before the birds can take their jubilating flight there, though, at least it seems to me. The “birdtable” is the compactured solidity — in word and deed — upon which alone the birds may be seen to be capable of “jubilating,” in word and deed. It is a kind of anti-coinage or faux paleologism of a word which has been compounded in speech (or at least is seen by Heaney as having been compounded there), but not in print before Heaney. In other words the word is an account or comment upon a concrescence of mental image and reality which is then atomized and pulverized by the “new-making” jubilating birds, the word, “jubilating,” of their new-making in the poem, by the poem.

I would be curious to know how you think “tallboy” is working.

I too think “For consider my Cat Jeoffry” is one of the greatest poems in the English language. In fact, I was looking to see if Heaney had ever commented on it critically. He undoubtedly would have appreciated it. Perhaps he felt it needed no comment.

]]> By: Mark McGuinness http://www.markmcguinness.com/index.php/seamus-heaney-the-lift/comment-page-1/#comment-1164 Mark McGuinness Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:21:56 +0000 http://www.markmcguinness.com/?p=204#comment-1164 It's on page 53 of my copy of <em>Death of a Naturalist</em> (published by Faber). It’s on page 53 of my copy of Death of a Naturalist (published by Faber).

]]> By: N. K. Cooke http://www.markmcguinness.com/index.php/seamus-heaney-the-lift/comment-page-1/#comment-1158 N. K. Cooke Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:22:58 +0000 http://www.markmcguinness.com/?p=204#comment-1158 I cannot find St. Francis and the Birds in Death of a Naturalist, as stated above. In which book was it first included? Thank you. I cannot find St. Francis and the Birds in Death of a Naturalist, as stated above. In which book was it first included?

Thank you.

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