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421
TWO POEMS
BY MARIANNE MOORE
PICKING AND CHOOSING
Literature is a phase of life: if
one is afraid of it, the situation is irremediable; if
one approaches it familiarly,
what one says of it is worthless. Words are constructive
when they are true; the opaque allusion—the simulated flight
one is afraid of it, the situation is irremediable; if
one approaches it familiarly,
what one says of it is worthless. Words are constructive
when they are true; the opaque allusion—the simulated flight
upward—accomplishes nothing. Why cloud the fact
that Shaw is self-conscious in the field of sentiment but is
otherwise re-
warding? that James is all that has been
said of him but is not profound? It is not Hardy
the distinguished novelist and Hardy the poet, but one man
that Shaw is self-conscious in the field of sentiment but is
otherwise re-
warding? that James is all that has been
said of him but is not profound? It is not Hardy
the distinguished novelist and Hardy the poet, but one man
"interpreting life through the medium of the
emotions." If he must give an opinion, it is permissible that the
critic should know what he likes. Gordon
Craig with his "this is I" and "this is mine," with his three
wise men, his "sad French greens" and his Chinese cherries—
Gordon Craig, so
emotions." If he must give an opinion, it is permissible that the
critic should know what he likes. Gordon
Craig with his "this is I" and "this is mine," with his three
wise men, his "sad French greens" and his Chinese cherries—
Gordon Craig, so
inclinational and unashamed—has carried
the precept of being a good critic, to the last extreme. And
Burke is a
psychologist—of acute, raccoon-
like curiosity. Summa diligentia;
to the humbug whose name is so amusing—very young and ve-
ry rushed, Caesar crossed the Alps on the "top of a
diligence." We are not daft about the meaning but this
familiarity
the precept of being a good critic, to the last extreme. And
Burke is a
psychologist—of acute, raccoon-
like curiosity. Summa diligentia;
to the humbug whose name is so amusing—very young and ve-
ry rushed, Caesar crossed the Alps on the "top of a
diligence." We are not daft about the meaning but this
familiarity
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with wrong meaning puzzles one. Humming-
bug, the candles are not wired for electricity.
Small dog, going over the lawn, nipping the linen and saying
bug, the candles are not wired for electricity.
Small dog, going over the lawn, nipping the linen and saying
that you have a badger—remember Xenophon;
only the most rudimentary sort of behaviour is necessary
to put us on the scent; a "right good
salvo of barks," a few "strong wrinkles" puckering the
skin between the ears, are all we ask.
only the most rudimentary sort of behaviour is necessary
to put us on the scent; a "right good
salvo of barks," a few "strong wrinkles" puckering the
skin between the ears, are all we ask.
ENGLAND
with its baby rivers and little towns, each with its abbey or its
cathedral;
with voices—one voice perhaps, echoing through the
transept—the
criterion of suitability and convenience; and Italy with its equal
shores—contriving an epicureanism from which the grossness
has been
cathedral;
with voices—one voice perhaps, echoing through the
transept—the
criterion of suitability and convenience; and Italy with its equal
shores—contriving an epicureanism from which the grossness
has been
extracted: and Greece with its goats and its gourds, the nest of
modified illusions:
and France, the "chrysalis of the nocturnal butterfly" in
whose products, mystery of construction diverts one from what was
originally one's
object—substance at the core: and the East with its snails, its
emotional
modified illusions:
and France, the "chrysalis of the nocturnal butterfly" in
whose products, mystery of construction diverts one from what was
originally one's
object—substance at the core: and the East with its snails, its
emotional
shorthand and jade cockroaches, its rock crystal and its
imperturbability,
all of museum quality: and America where there
is the little old ramshackle victoria in the south, where cigars are
smoked on the
street in the north; where there are no proof-readers, no silk-
worms, no digressions;
the wild man's land; grass-less, links-less, language-less country—
in which letters are written
not in Spanish, not in Greek, not in Latin, not in shorthand
imperturbability,
all of museum quality: and America where there
is the little old ramshackle victoria in the south, where cigars are
smoked on the
street in the north; where there are no proof-readers, no silk-
worms, no digressions;
the wild man's land; grass-less, links-less, language-less country—
in which letters are written
not in Spanish, not in Greek, not in Latin, not in shorthand
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but in plain American which cats and dogs can read! The letter "a"
in psalm and calm when
pronounced with the sound of "a" in candle, is very noticeable
but
in psalm and calm when
pronounced with the sound of "a" in candle, is very noticeable
but
why should continents of misapprehension have to be accounted for
by the
fact? Does it follow that because there are poisonous toadstools
which resemble mushrooms, both are dangerous? In the case of
mettlesomeness which may be
mistaken for appetite, of heat which may appear to be haste,
no con-
by the
fact? Does it follow that because there are poisonous toadstools
which resemble mushrooms, both are dangerous? In the case of
mettlesomeness which may be
mistaken for appetite, of heat which may appear to be haste,
no con-
clusions may be drawn. To have misapprehended the matter, is to
have confessed
that one has not looked far enough. The sublimated wisdom
of China, Egyptian discernment, the cataclysmic torrent of emotion
compressed
in the verbs of the Hebrew language, the books of the man who
is able
have confessed
that one has not looked far enough. The sublimated wisdom
of China, Egyptian discernment, the cataclysmic torrent of emotion
compressed
in the verbs of the Hebrew language, the books of the man who
is able
to say, "'I envy nobody but him and him only, who catches more
fish than
I do,'"—the flower and fruit of all that noted superi-
ority—should one not have stumbled upon it in America, must one
imagine
that it is not there? It has never been confined to one locality.
fish than
I do,'"—the flower and fruit of all that noted superi-
ority—should one not have stumbled upon it in America, must one
imagine
that it is not there? It has never been confined to one locality.
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