Why Poetry Matters: Poetry and Apocalypse —– September 2011.
Writing about web page http://nvwn.wordpress.com/
(Part of the NVWN newsletter).
In the wake of Hurricane Irene, people up and down the East Coast are left in awe at the incredible power of the wind and sea. Apart from the hurricane, there have been tornadoes, even an earthquake, and one can’t help feeling humbled at the chaos produced, worthy of a disaster movie.
Environmental destruction and ecological balance are at the heart of Neil Astley’s anthology_Earth Shattering_, which brings together over 200 poems to celebrate the natural world, lament its corruption, and consider how it might be preserved. When it comes to the power of nature and the possibility of apocalypse, however, one poem particularly struck me.
Working out of genres that he calls ‘Alternative Realism’ and ‘European Darkness,’ the Irish poet Matthew Sweeney imagines the breakdown of the civilized world in ‘Zero Hour’ (http://www.cstone.net/~poems/twoposwe.htm). As oil reserves slowly run low in this frightening, new society, Sweeney imagines cars left useless on the roadside and people attacking one another for the most basic goods. Sweeney’s scenario is one that we all doubtfully envision at times of crisis, and his final question is chilling:
…who
out there could have predicted
this sudden countdown to zero hour,
all the paraphernalia of our comfort
stamped obsolete, our memories
fighting to keep us sane and upright?
02 Sep 2011 14:09
| 
Tags: Matthew Sweeney Neil Astley
| 
Comments (3)
| 
Report a problem
Loading…
Sue
He takes a very pessimistic view of things. I think the human spirit will prevail. I don’t see the point of pessimism.
02 Sep 2011, 17:18
True, I hope so too, but it makes you think!
02 Sep 2011, 18:22
Sue
Yes, you’re right it does make you think and I know what he means. I also like the fact that it’s succinct. I have a favourite poem which I love for lots of different reasons. I think it’s going to be difficult for it ever to be overtaken in my mind. I may have mentioned it before, it goes like this:
So much depends on
a cerise swimsuit
Hanging to dry
in Laurel Canyon.
The whole is so much more than the sum of its parts.
03 Sep 2011, 09:44
Add a comment
You are not allowed to comment on this entry as it has restricted commenting permissions.