She is no cause to herself, Being not other then-- Though toiled in hydra-myth-- Than now she will be, is; No miracle of mist born, No mist that into sheerness turns, Astounding self. Same, same was she As she is and is to be: Last safety against nothingness Where trials of number, power, Are stopped from fall impetuous To downward triumph, Abyss of lone eternities. There her surveillance, And herself the common treasure-- That which is, and cannot fail to be, ultimate something, living thread by which the cloth of being, Though an ancient rag, Moulders not utterly. And thus she at the last is, And thus first was she, Who in those ageing futures was As present doom prorogued in hearsay
Where have you been from the lexicon, Laura Riding? I've never read verse as lyrically symphonic as yours in a poet i had never heard of. Maybe Shelley and Aime Cesare, and Walt Whitman. You are astounding.
Nor is it written that you may not grieve. There is no rule of joy, long may you dwell Not smiling yet in that last pain, On that last supper of the heart. It is not written that you must take joy Because not thus again shall you sit down to ply the mingled banquet Which the deep larder of illusion shed Like myth in time grown not astonishing.
I can't believe her austerity, and yet her keen observation. she is a genius, and she does it in poesy. And even may your eyes caress / Proudly the used abundance. It's like reading Shakespeare, and by that i mean, it's reading lyrical spinning, and by that, i mean she is a master. She is a great embroiderer of phrases, that when spoken, coalesce on the identity, or framework, of the chosen emotion. So that, she is a poet:
Is this to be alone? When, when the day when votary ghosts unpale And shriek rebellion at themselves So dumbly death-loyal serving her In acquiescent guile--since never came A word of angry flesh or impious meaning Through that hushed screen of priding world? When, when the day? Is this to be alone?
I think that this collection speaks worlds to the issue of there not being enough recognized female authors, whom we can allude to. Laura Riding is not only good, she is masterful. But because of the patriarchical suppression of women's literature, we miss a lot of these brilliant poets. I am sorry i am ranting, but the other day a girl accused the canon of not having a single good female author. Some typical names were thrown, but the old excuse, "They only write about themselves, about women," was strewn on the argument. Where are the women who write about the transgression of the spirit and time travel, about mythology and monsters? Laura Riding does it with a bang. I am so lucky to have found her.
Science, the white heart of strangers, Bleeds with an immaculate grief-- Impatient brotherhood, Tired apostates of curiosity, Creed of apostatizing. Truth need be but dead afterworld To those who've had enough, The readers and lookers-on-- As stars keep off, or to short minds Night seems a less real time than day, Not to be measured with or counted to that quick self-evident sum of sun
more metaphysical than I ever would have thought myself capable of enjoying, but a compelling difficulty. a good reminder that there is something to be said for prolificness as I believe all of these were written by the age of 37
i recently found laura riding through a paul auster essay. auden was accused of imitating her, ashbery credits her with being a primary influence, and auster seduced me to read her- 3 A's for laura riding.