Book 37: Caribou

Caribou

Charles Wright

I don't have much of a history with poetry, and certainly not modern poetry, but as I now find myself in charge of some significant archival collections pertaining to American poets I figured that there's no time like the present to reacquaint myself with the poetic. I was intrigued by the promises and quotes on Caribou's jacket and picked it up. I was, alas, somewhat disappointed, finding a few gems but largely feeling that the poems suffered from a lack of consistency, both internally and throughout the collection. Some motifs, such as Wright's reliance on nature as the source of recurring metaphors, are consistent throughout the book, but it often proves difficult to move from one poem to the next- or even one stanza to another. Some poems are seemingly at odds with their titles in ways that did not enhance my understanding or experience of the poetry, and others seem to shift without warning or a poetic purpose that I (in my admittedly limited experience and knowledge) could discern. That said, there are a few truly beautiful standouts in this collection. Wright is at his best when pondering the transcendent nature of life, whether in short bursts such as "Whatever Happened to Al Lee?" or longer, almost narrative pieces like "Little Elegy for an Old Friend". There is occasionally a thrilling beauty to be found in lines that leap off the page, even within some of the poems that, taken as a whole, grasp unconvincingly at coherence. At its best, Wright's poetry explores life from an existentialist outlook, grabbing readers with sharp observations; even at its worst, it is far from incomprehensible or indulgent for its own sake. The majority of the poems, even those I didn't quite get, offered me some intellectual fodder, which is, in a way, all you can really ask of a poetry collection. Nothing drastically altered my outlook on life, but there are a few lines and shorter stanzas that lend themselves well to repeated rumination. Overall, I found Caribou to be an interesting collection containing a lot of beauty, meaning, and wisely stated truths for those who are willing to overlook some of its weaker points and pan for its gold.

Grade: B

Book 60: The Faerie Queene, Book 1

The Faerie Queene, Book 1
Edmund Spenser

I am not an academic. I enjoy old literature and consider myself to have a fleeting but passable familiarization with Middle English as a language. I can more or less comfortably read Chaucer and, with some well-placed glosses and footnotes, can fully understand Shakespeare. Where I falter, however, is with Spenser's deliberately overworked poetry. Over-archaized verse that flaunts its superior morality while commiting hypocrisy at every turn, The Faerie Queene is not to be read by those outside of the know. In fact, even those studying it for a conceivable purpose would probably do better with more interesting and feasible works from the era. If this is England's national epic, I'll go to France or Germany- at least I can understand them in translation. Spenser's work is impossible to enjoy and can only be understood with the help of a personal tutor, extensive footnotes, and a doctorate-level understanding of Greek mythology and the history of England.

I hesitate to be so cruel toward Spenser, but I cannot imagine he was much easier to read in his own day. In fact, because we have the benefit of context and scholarship, it may be easier to read Spenser now. Spenser's use of Spenserian (oho!) verse does not propel the story forward or give it the gravity he intends; rather, it creates a forced metrical feel and an utterly painful rhyme scheme that screw up the syntax to a point where it is impossible to discern what is going on at any point in the story. Characters will start dialogues without being properly introduced, point of view will shift dramatically, and names change left and right without explanation. This story requires a map.

In itself, the tale is mainly flawed by its complexity. If Spenser spent more time creating interesting literature and less trying to fluff himself and his image I'm sure he would have created a worthwhile allegory. When the story is focused on itself and not on obscure Greek name-dropping it gets quite interesting. The caveat, of course, is the fact that the virtue of Holinesse can belong to both Catholics and Protestants throughout the story (it is supposed to settle on the latter) and that magic is either evil (Catholic) or good (Protestant) on Spenser's whim. He won't win over any converts with his hole-ridden plot, but he gives it a good whack anyway. Spenser does go a bit overboard by naming characters directly after each vice and virtue encountered, but this fits right in with his grandiose stylization and merely reinforces the reader's notion that Spenser is a man utterly full of himself.

The main fault of The Faerie Queene is that its author doesn't trust its message to speak for itself. Instead, Spenser employs far too much grandstanding for far too little actual substance. He undermines any argument he may have in the process and makes himself look silly instead of academic and/or intelligent. Reading this book is an excruciatingly bad experience that I would recommend avoiding if at all possible. I want to be well-read in English literature, but I don't like having my time blatantly wasted and, indeed, stolen by a hoard of academics who are willing to pry Spenser apart. There is no joy in Faery Lond for the common reader.

Grade: C

Book 56: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Translated by Neil D. Isaacs

At first I was berating myself for not finishing a book in so long, but considering that it was only a ten-day lapse, I don't think I did too badly after all. This book is really more of a novella, but books can come in all shapes and sizes and Sir Gawain is particularly valuable to us as a relic of the Middle English period and an important marker of the cultural context of that time. What is perhaps most valuable and surprising about this book is its deviance from modern traditional visions of the Arthurian legend. Most everyone will know the legend behind this story, but in the modern era we tend to include the Round Table, that great marker of equality. The Middle English version is likely much closer to the actual events as it depicts a fairly typical high table and even a strict heirarchy within that table. This is especially valuable because it allows us to consider why we have retroactively introduced the Round Table. Little discrepencies such as this make me want to dig up some literature about the development of the Arthur legends, so stay tuned for that.

But back to Gawain. The book itself isn't too heavy on action per se, consciously leaving out a lot of dragon fighting and (presumably) maiden rescuing in lieu of long descriptions of Gawain's shield and its pentangle. Even here, however, we have an interesting lens through which to view medieval religion and notions of chivalry; the long descriptions do not hinder the reading of the text but instead enrich its historical perspective. The plot itself is sufficiently entertaining, if not groundbreaking, and contains a nice twist at the end which would be surprising if the story were not so grounded in the canon of English language folk literature. Some of the poetry of the original Middle English (which was presented side-by-side with this particular translation) is naturally lost, but some of its basic tendencies remain, the most prominent of which is the interaction between the last four lines of each stanza and the lines that precede them.

Overall, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is quite an entertaining and quick read, particularly for those interested in its historical context or the broader developments of Arthurian literature in English. Its plot developments happen often enough to engage the modern reader and the moral quandaries it poses regarding hospitality, courtesy, and honor still resonate somewhat today, though in ways the author couldn't have imagined. The story itself is strong enough to hold up over time and takes on new meaning because of its setting, only strengthening its claims to respectability. This classic tale of one of Arthur's most beloved knights is well worth the time.

Grade: A

Book 52: Beowulf

Beowulf
Translated by Michael Ash

Okay, so this is supposed to be a book a week, not one every two weeks. I'll get on that, I promise, but what with school starting and everything it's hard to get some good reading in. Beowulf isn't necessarily good reading per se, but it is reading nonetheless and it is worth looking into once or twice. I get the feeling that the epic poem has a lot more than meets the eye, but I can't help but get distracted while reading it. The plot unfolds in little spurts interrupted by generally unnecessary backstory that unfortunately confuses the modern reader, who lacks sufficient context for many of its diversions. It is hard to piece together the actual plot until after the events unfold and there is a party and recollections afterward. That said, the recollections themselves only re-hash the slight bits of action and are themselves tedious after a while.

Taken as indicative of its own context, Beowulf can tell the modern reader a lot about the people who composed and retold it, considering it important enough to commit to parchment. The epic adventures of the great warrior, when they can be found in the overlong text, are simplistic but sufficiently gripping to rouse a hearty campfire-side cheer for mighty Beowulf. The epic is a breezy read good for those who either would like a side order of easy-to-digest culture or those who wish to probe its seams endlessly for clues to a past world. Most readers in the middle, however, will enjoy the exploits but come away frustrated with the lack of drive and relevance. Beowulf is a solidly middle-of-the-line text in terms of pure pleasure reading.

Grade: B

Book 37: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Translated by Neil D. Isaacs

And so my mythology class adds another book to my expanding list of mythology reads. This one is quite interesting. It's written in verse, which makes it read fast, but some sections are set off, indented and shorter than the main body of the story. I'm not quite sure what the significance of this is, or even if they're set off in the same way in the original text, but they appear to occur where there's a description or when God is mentioned somehow.

As with all mythological plots, this one is pretty straightforward. This story is really all about honor and honesty. The tale seems to serve as a guide for chivalrous and knightly behavior. After all, Sir Gawain exlaims, "A curse on cowardice and a curse on greed!" setting these virtues apart from others when it comes to proper action. The story really reads as an extended morality tale, stressing the values of honesty and humility as those most befitting a knight. Gawain and the Green Knight both stand as shining examples.

Grade: A

Book 30: Beowulf

Beowulf
Translated by Michael Alexander

Ah, Beowulf, legendary warrior and king of the Geats. You're going to have to forgive me here; I haven't had the official rundown of this yet and a lot of it sailed right over my little modern head. However, I think I got the gist of the legendary epic. I was surprised to find that Beowulf wasn't just a heroic warrior doing the right thing for his people. His hubris is consistently hailed as his greatest quality throughout his dealings with evil. As he goes forth to conquer Grendel, he reassures his troops that he will be fine singlehandedly and unarmed against the foe who has consistently outmatched the entire Danish fighting force. An unbeliever who dares question Beowulf's might is set in his place with an unashamed rendition of Beowulf's daring exploits handed down by none other than the man himself.

In fact, Beowulf even alludes directly to the power of honor by claiming that the only reason people should ever fight is to gain reputation and to bolster their pride. At least he's fighting for an ideal, and not just for riches. The riches he does gain he gives duly to his kings with hardly a thought to his own bank. This makes Beowulf a good warrior, always deferring to the will of his superior and willing to fight the biggest menance for his own reputation. The end is always in sight for Beowulf.

As far as historical accuracy, though, I must say that the constant references to God seem misplaced and anachronistic. It seems to me that someone may have fiddled with this and inserted some good deference to the (presumably Christian) Lord. These people are way too pious to be in Jutland in the very first years after Christ. The constant references to God break up the flow of the poem and seem unnatural and contrived, as if placed only to conform to some sort of quota.

It must be remembered, too, that the saga goes beyond Beowulf and recounts the history of the Geats (southern Swedes, I think) and Danes. The first few pages pass in a blur as they recount the exploits of several unimportant and irrelevant kings. Background information on each episode in Beowulf's colored life is provided in a roundabout and familiar fashion, often very confusing to the humble college literary scholar.

Aside from all of the extras packed into this remarkably short poem, the actual action gives the reader a good idea of the values and lifestyle of the people of the period. Pride is encouraged and valour is everything. Loyalty to one's king is essential to a successful career as a warrior. Beowulf embodies all that is good to the ancient peoples of Europe, and he wields his sword bravely time and again to cement his place in the epic of Old English.

Grade: B