Daily Poetry Readings #17: Simplify Me When I'm Dead by Keith Douglas read by Dr Iain McGilchrist
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- Part 17 of a daily series of readings of his favourite poetry by Dr Iain McGilchrist, author of The Master and His Emissary. Today's poem is Simplify Me When I'm Dead by Keith Douglas.
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~ Simplify Me When I'm Dead by Keith Douglas ~
Remember me when I am dead
and simplify me when I'm dead.
As the processes of earth
strip off the colour of the skin:
take the brown hair and blue eye
and leave me simpler than at birth,
when hairless I came howling in
as the moon entered the cold sky.
Of my skeleton perhaps,
so stripped, a learned man will say
"He was of such a type and intelligence," no more.
Thus when in a year collapse
particular memories, you may
deduce, from the long pain I bore
the opinions I held, who was my foe
and what I left, even my appearance
but incidents will be no guide.
Time's wrong-way telescope will show
a minute man ten years hence
and by distance simplified.
Through that lens see if I seem
substance or nothing: of the world
deserving mention or charitable oblivion,
not by momentary spleen
or love into decision hurled,
leisurely arrive at an opinion.
Remember me when I am dead
and simplify me when I'm dead.
Again. Wow. Really appreciating these readings.
Beautiful Thank you.
If only I could have lied. If only my lips could have spoken the words my heart knew were untrue? Then you would have loved me? Wouldn’t you.
Can someone explain me the paragraph
"not by momentary spleen
or love into decision hurled,
leisurely arrive at an opinion."
not quite sure what the intended meaning of that is. thank you.
I think he means that he was able to take his time to form an opinion because neither anger nor love swayed him one way or the other into a knee jerk reaction.