I like what my hero Joseph Campbell believed -- that the purpose of life is to experience being alive and to match the beat of the universe. He also believed that we should follow our bliss, or what we are most passionate about, to feel more alive and open up new doors for ourselves.
Corso is a fine poet and is generally underrated when readers are assessing the Beats. His search for meaning and how to find it and what it might look like is ultimately the great quest in life. But life is important, not meaningless. 'Death proved meaningless without life.'
That's what Carl Jung said, then he added an interesting line. He said, 'Life is both meaningful and meaningless. It depends on how the ball falls for you.'
I like the dead-pan tone of this poem. The drama of the subject-matter is nodded towards, but provokes no drama. One can have a crisis (eg: death & dying [though not a crisis for everyone]) without the drama.
I have always felt 'life has meaning' (whatever that meaans) even though the felt experience has been a stretched-out event that is that mostly 'feels' meaningless. A rational explanation of why life is/might-be meaningful (like most rational explanations) leave me cold.
The linguistics and syntax are the absolute magic ingredient in this poetry — they are the spice that makes me slow down and savor the depth behind the words.
Love the Beats,especially Kerouac...Thank you for the Corso;this one really hits home...definitely the line,'Life is a century,Death an instant'...so true.
I remember seeing Corso in Specks bar in North Beach in the sixties. I met Richard Brautigan there once. There were lots of poets and artists all over the Beach. They threw a big party on an anniversary of the Six Gallery reading from the late fifties where Ginsberg debuted Howl. It was at the Savoy Tivoli. Ferlinghetti was there and Governor Jerry Brown came with a beautiful blonde and the Roshi from the Zen Center. Culture is a slippery concept but you sure do miss it when its gone
Thanks, Erik. A new poetic name for me. Helpful information from my poetry go-to source:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/gregory-corso
I like what my hero Joseph Campbell believed -- that the purpose of life is to experience being alive and to match the beat of the universe. He also believed that we should follow our bliss, or what we are most passionate about, to feel more alive and open up new doors for ourselves.
Corso is a fine poet and is generally underrated when readers are assessing the Beats. His search for meaning and how to find it and what it might look like is ultimately the great quest in life. But life is important, not meaningless. 'Death proved meaningless without life.'
meaningless and meaningful... so goes the beautiful paradox of it all.
That's what Carl Jung said, then he added an interesting line. He said, 'Life is both meaningful and meaningless. It depends on how the ball falls for you.'
I like the dead-pan tone of this poem. The drama of the subject-matter is nodded towards, but provokes no drama. One can have a crisis (eg: death & dying [though not a crisis for everyone]) without the drama.
I have always felt 'life has meaning' (whatever that meaans) even though the felt experience has been a stretched-out event that is that mostly 'feels' meaningless. A rational explanation of why life is/might-be meaningful (like most rational explanations) leave me cold.
I prefer this poem's approach.
The linguistics and syntax are the absolute magic ingredient in this poetry — they are the spice that makes me slow down and savor the depth behind the words.
As you get older the aches, pains and scars are from a life well lived or a life of constant battle
Then I have a well-lived life!
When Lear tells Cordelia, “Nothing will get you nothing,” he fails to recognize this is wisdom he will pay dearly for not recognizing as such.
Ah, Shakespeare... a true mystic!
Love the Beats,especially Kerouac...Thank you for the Corso;this one really hits home...definitely the line,'Life is a century,Death an instant'...so true.
What a task to take on the esoteric and existential meaning of it all. Meaning, no meaning..
It is like he put a pin on the map of the nature of life and said, We are here... and then we are not here...
I so appreciate his deadpan tone. His meeting Death face to face. His breakdown of grammar... maybe as the ideas of meaning and life break down.
I love the lines:
The world is changing
The world knows it’s changing
Heavy is the sorrow of the day
The old have the look of doom
The young mistake their fate in that look
That is truth
But it isn’t all truth
There inside of exhaustion
Her calm plays
Her dawn's frail beginning
And silvered screen
No mistreating the obscene
Grows older with little vines
Uncradled, barren, skins in bind
From where else are spiders hiding, tempting me to shine?
Loosened beauty, why hath though fed so cautious
Is victory laughing still or nestled close in wine
Ending nearest wind
Purchaser of petals loan from me
In desire I've forgiven angers mercy
Why tending to rains is the lepers remorse
Finding prayers while lost in psalms
I remember seeing Corso in Specks bar in North Beach in the sixties. I met Richard Brautigan there once. There were lots of poets and artists all over the Beach. They threw a big party on an anniversary of the Six Gallery reading from the late fifties where Ginsberg debuted Howl. It was at the Savoy Tivoli. Ferlinghetti was there and Governor Jerry Brown came with a beautiful blonde and the Roshi from the Zen Center. Culture is a slippery concept but you sure do miss it when its gone
The word man is not man
Cool poem.
FOR ME, I LEARN FIRST, THEN I EVOLVE, TO DISCOVER THE MEANING - RATHER THE PURPOSE OF MY LIFE.