Importance of the First Impressionby
posthumousComment by ubique: It's not what I expected. Or, more accurately, it is what I expected, which was something unexpected.
For me the greatest pleasure of poetry is in the prospecting; plucking out the little sparkles of precious stones studded through the vein of the thing. I'm not a scholar of the structure of poetry, nor of the conventions of verse and their corresponding
unconventions. But I do love couplets and phrases and allusions that make me feel that I've felt this feeling before, when I know I have not.
Exquisite examples here: crows like
"little geishas in black kimonos"; Manet
"paints his own light on the flowers"; and even
"In spite of the white hat worn by the New Rome". These are not the only reasons I (infrequently) read poetry, but they are the reasons that leave indelible marks on me. I feel uncomfortable that I'm often indifferent to the bigger picture. I like bites of it, but seldom can I manage a meal. I think I get distracted by the resonance of those scattered snapshots, and you know how I feel about snapshots: they may be modest but they mean the most and they last forever.
So I won't attempt to judge nor even measure the piece as a whole. It made sense; it was interesting and illuminating. I was informed and entertained by it. The pictures were crafted very effectively with the words. But I'm taking the gemstones home for my treasure box. I'm a collector, you see, so I can't help it.
Thank you.
ETA: I think the title of the piece is surpassing wise. The conjunction of Manet, and the mirror device, with the emergence of photography is a very heady brew. A further thank you.
Message edited by author 2015-03-03 07:36:28. 
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