Thank you for the Aeneid link - you have piqued my interest with this fine introduction. On a different topic, I just found a printed copy of something you wrote about St John of the Cross, where you translated a part of one of his poems and gave a summary of his life. I had been moved by the article and stuck it into an out-of-print bio of the Saint, which I just finished. What an amazing man! Talk about poetry... will you write more about his writings in the future?
Thank you for this comment, Shannon. I believe you're referring to an article entitled "A Hymn to the Holy Ghost by St. John of the Cross," which discusses the saint's life and includes my translation of Llama de amor viva (“Living Flame of Love”). (What you see in the article is actually the entire poem—it's a short one.) Indeed, St. John of the Cross was an amazing man who wrote amazing poetry. And yes, I do plan to discuss St. John of the Cross in future posts, and I will be using this newsletter to publish my translations of his poetry.
Yes, that's the one, from the NLM blog. I liked it so much that I printed it in order to refer back to it. I'm grateful you will write more about St John of the Cross. Imagine, asking to hear parts of the Song of Songs read to him on the point of death...
Well, this is also very fine. I see I may have to refrain from excessive commenting here. I’d just like to put in a word for a few poets who combine difficult aspects of modernism with respect for the tradition; T. S. Eliot and David Jones. Jones in particular works in an aesthetic that is both deeply influenced by the medieval artisan and by the entropic fragmentation of a society in flight from God. And also, in passing, the much maligned husband of Plath, Ted Hughes, late in life rendered the excellent Tales from Ovid.
I've read very little from David Jones, but I agree about Eliot. For me, Eliot's work is the summit of modernist poetry, and a good reminder that the modernist movement was not as revolutionary or subversive as it might appear in hindsight—Eliot was a traditionally minded gentleman who believed that modernist poetics really had something important to contribute to Western culture.
Thank you so much for this article, I have downloaded the free Aeneid , and enjoying it immensely. Also thank you so much for having your content free, as I cannot afford subscriptions however I’ve loved your Substack, so again thank you so very much 🙏
Thank you for the Aeneid link - you have piqued my interest with this fine introduction. On a different topic, I just found a printed copy of something you wrote about St John of the Cross, where you translated a part of one of his poems and gave a summary of his life. I had been moved by the article and stuck it into an out-of-print bio of the Saint, which I just finished. What an amazing man! Talk about poetry... will you write more about his writings in the future?
Thank you for this comment, Shannon. I believe you're referring to an article entitled "A Hymn to the Holy Ghost by St. John of the Cross," which discusses the saint's life and includes my translation of Llama de amor viva (“Living Flame of Love”). (What you see in the article is actually the entire poem—it's a short one.) Indeed, St. John of the Cross was an amazing man who wrote amazing poetry. And yes, I do plan to discuss St. John of the Cross in future posts, and I will be using this newsletter to publish my translations of his poetry.
Yes, that's the one, from the NLM blog. I liked it so much that I printed it in order to refer back to it. I'm grateful you will write more about St John of the Cross. Imagine, asking to hear parts of the Song of Songs read to him on the point of death...
Well, this is also very fine. I see I may have to refrain from excessive commenting here. I’d just like to put in a word for a few poets who combine difficult aspects of modernism with respect for the tradition; T. S. Eliot and David Jones. Jones in particular works in an aesthetic that is both deeply influenced by the medieval artisan and by the entropic fragmentation of a society in flight from God. And also, in passing, the much maligned husband of Plath, Ted Hughes, late in life rendered the excellent Tales from Ovid.
I've read very little from David Jones, but I agree about Eliot. For me, Eliot's work is the summit of modernist poetry, and a good reminder that the modernist movement was not as revolutionary or subversive as it might appear in hindsight—Eliot was a traditionally minded gentleman who believed that modernist poetics really had something important to contribute to Western culture.
Thank you so much for this article, I have downloaded the free Aeneid , and enjoying it immensely. Also thank you so much for having your content free, as I cannot afford subscriptions however I’ve loved your Substack, so again thank you so very much 🙏
Thank you for commenting Lauren, and I'm so glad that you're enjoying the articles (and the Aeneid!).