A short untitled poem -

broken bones    

(poem removed)

New version of an old poem.
First draft

brambles

(poem removed)

Here are some more quotes that particularly struck me from Michael Hamburger's fantastic book.

"Has literature a function in the state...? It has... It has to do with the clarity and vigour of 'any and every' thought and opinion...When this work goes rotten - by that I do not mean when they express indecorous thoughts - but when the very medium, the very essence of their work, the application of word to thing goes rotten, i.e. becomes slushy and inexact, or excessive or bloated, the whole machinery of social and individual thought and order goes to pot."  Ezra Pound

"What characterizes a poem is its neccesary dependence on words as much as its struggle to transcend them" Octavio Paz

"In asserting their belief in 'art for art's sake' many writers have failed to distinguish between their personal motive for writing and the function for all literature" Michael Hamburger

"The 'self' written about becomes no more than a multiplicity of alternatives, possibilities and potentialities" Michael Hamburger

"If each man were not able to live a number of other lives beside his own, he would not be able to live his own life" Valery

"There is no theory that is not a fragment, carefully prepared, of some autobiography" Valery

"If I wrote of personal love or sorrow in free verse, or in any rhythm that left it unchanged, amid all its accidence, I would be full of self-contempt because of my egotism and indiscretion, and forsee the boredom of my reader...I commit my emotion to shepherds, herdsmen, camel-drivers, learned men, Milton or Shelley's Platonist, that tower Palmer drew." Yeats

"I was soon to write many poems where an always personal emotion was woven into a jewelled pattern of myth and symbol" Yeats

"The first person in a lyrical poem should never be identified, in any case, with the poet's empirical self. Whether primarily confessional or primarily dramatic, the first person in lyrical poetry serves to convey a gesture, not to document identity or establish biographical facts" Michael Hamburger

"Poetry...is a perpetual two-way traffic between experience and imagination. Poets like himself, Stevens [Wallace] said repeatedly, are 'thinkers without final thoughts'" Michael Hamburger

"It is up to the reader of poetry not to approach it with expectations and demands which it cannot, by its nature, fulfil." Michael Hamburger

"Steven's mysticism, like Rilke's, begins with the visible world" Michael Hamburger

"Poetry has no other end in itself" Baudelaire

"Poetry has no other theme than the poet himself" Gottfried Benn

"It is the feeling of the empirical self which poetry enlarges, complements or even replaces with fictitious ones, but only because the empirical self is not the whole self, cramped as it is in its shell of convention, habit and circumstance. Pessoa's disguises did not impair his truthfulness because he used them not to hoodwink others, but to explore reality and establish the full identity of his multiple, potential selves" Michael Hamburger

Finally, a week of dry weather after nearly two months of endless rainfall. Here on the west coast we have one of the highest rainfalls in Europe and this last while has been so miserable that I've been seriously thinking on moving eastwards. It's not a coincidence that I haven't written a poem for two months either! Poems, for me, grow out of nature observation and it's hard to observe anything with the head down pushing the pram into the rain. However, it can only get better...

I've started reading Michael Hamburger's The Truth of Poetry: Tensions in Modern Poetry from Baudelaire to the 1960's. It's such a good read, stimulating, thoughtful, analytical, and well-needed to save me from sinking into Peppa Pig oblivion! It's not one to skim-read though I'm greedy to get to the end of it and have all the knowledge that's in it. The first couple of chapters are forcing me back to the 19th century French poets though, annoyingly, my fat Oxford World Classics book, Six French Poets of the Nineteenth Century, features neither  Laforgue or Corbiere, both of whom he discusses at length.

Here's an excerpt from the end of chapter two:

"Modern poetry, according to [Octavio] Paz, moves between two poles, which he calls the magical and the revolutionary. The magical consists in a desire to return to nature by dissolving the self-consciousness that separates us from it, 'to lose oneself forever in animal innocence, or liberate oneself from history'. The revolutionary aspiration, on the other hand, demands a 'conquest of the historical world and of nature'. Both are ways of bridging the same gap and reconciling the 'alienated consciousness' to the world outside. Yet both tendences may be at work within the same poet , and even within the same poem, just as a poet may combine the function of priest and fool, hater and lover of words".

The start of chapter three looks at the identity of the poet (or the lack of), and alienation of self as explored through Corbiere's (confessional) poems: "[S]elf-confession, however truthful, cannot escape from the unreality that is its subject matter. The 'self' written about becomes no more than a multiplicity of alternatives, possibilites and potentialities".

So lots to chew on. I love this quote from Corbiere: "Yes, it's me all right - I'm there - but like an erasure".  Also this paradox: "Waiting for life to start he died / And lived awaiting death".
I must get me a Corbiere collection!

I've booked my tickets for StAnza 2012 and I'm gutted at the dates of the John Burnside and Kathleen Jamie readings because I can't make either of them. However I've bought tickets for the Bernard O'Donoghue and Tony Curtis reading, the Chase Twichell and Lavinia Greenlaw reading both on the Friday. On the Saturday I've booked tickets for the Poetry Breakfast event with Robert Crawford, Norman McBeath, Lavinia Greenlaw and Michael Symmons on images and imagery, and the Happenstance Showcase event with Niall Campbell, Richie McCaffery and Theresa Muñoz.
I'm only staying at St. Andrews for the Friday night this year, it'd be nice to see a friendly face if anyone reading this is going!!

Help, Please, Anyone?

I'm thinking of organising a poetry reading locally and as I've never organised one before I'll take all the advice I can get!!

A Clash of Voices

"She writes of both people and sights that enthral us in islands...She writes of all of these characters with a wonderful tenderness and lightness of touch, seeing in a new and fresh way these images from our shared past"

I'm delighted that Donald S Murray, author of short story collections, poetry collections and non-fiction books, has written an excellent half-page review of Vintage Sea for 'Events', a monthly newspaper for Lewis and Harris.
In the last year I've written two poems inspired by Donald's excellent book The Guga Hunters, so being a fan of his writing I'm really excited about this review!

In the review Donald raises an interesting point about the high number of island poets and the linguistic tensions faced by island communities. I was brought up by a Gaelic-speaking mother (she could speak English too!) and an English-speaking father, Donald himself told me that his father was Gaelic-speaking and his mother was not. Donald says of his writing -

"I am very conscious that, just like Marion, while the words might be English, their underlying rhythms and concerns often belong to my other tongue. It is, in fact, a Gaelic way of thought that allows my English to be (I hope!) distinctive and fresh, enabling me, too, to present a world-view that is different from other writers".

Donald notes that both Norman MacCaig and George Mackay Brown, two of Scotland's greatest writers in English in the twentieth century, shared a similar divide to ours in terms of mixed-linguistic family history.

In an email to Donald I had explained the role of the Gaelic language in my background:

In my own experience Gaelic is a huge part of my background, as a child I spent every summer between Back and Barvas and by the end of every summer I could largely understand general conversations. With having been brought up by a Gaelic-speaking mother, Gaelic words were part of my everyday speech, in fact I remember thinking some Gaelic words were actually English! Yet, because I've never actually learned the language it's always had a sense of mystery about it, always just beyond my grasp. In saying that, it seems to me that there is a comfortable symbiotic kind of relationship between Gaelic and English though perhaps that only exists now for the older generations.

I hadn't actively thought on the effect of the Gaelic language on my writing, mainly because I don't write in Gaelic, so this has been very interesting to me.

"[R]ooted in the landscape and experience of Scotland. The poems are full of imagery and characters who remain almost at the edge of vision, not explained, just there"

Thanks to Juliet Wilson for her kind words about Vintage Sea on her blog here. Interesting that she assumed my poem We Met by a Charm of Crossbills recorded an actual experience of mine, not sure how she feels about the poem since I confessed I'd never seen a crossbill in my life!

Books!

Ahh it's all over!!!

I've had a lovely Christmas, played lots of lego - highly addictive you should know! Barely been on the computer, not even facebook though I did finally join twitter but I've yet to get into tweeting.

First book on the list is The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth. Reading this book has been pure joy and I thoroughly recommend it to everyone! 

Did you know that the term SPAM, in reference to unwanted emails, originates from a Monty Python sketch? Now you see why you must get this book!!!

I also bought a couple of Calderwood press titles - The Heavy Bag by Ross Wilson and Out of the Cave by Alistair Noon, both of which I know I'm really going to enjoy. I also finally ordered By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart and Jim was lovely enough to send me a copy of his third novel, Milligan and Murphy. I wrote a little about his first novel, Living with the Truth, way back here.  I'm still waiting on African Folktales by Paul Radin to come in. I'm really looking forward to reading it, it's a book that very much influenced Plath's poetry for a period.

Birthdays, anniversaries, shopping, wrapping, baking, nativity plays, parties... it sure is a busy time!
So here's a wee Merry Christmas to you all and a seasonal excerpt from my favourite poetry collection purchase of 2011, Ashes for Breakfast by Durs Grünbein.

From 'Greetings From Oblivion City' -

"My friends, it is winter here, a pleasant 70 in the shade.
A wind blows off the coastal hills, ruffling
The hair dryer that sits atop the city like a yellow smog.
Sometimes you can see miles into the distance, which

Diminishes the belief in an otherworld. If the hereafter is here,
Then everyone can melt away into thin air.
You encounter the one season spread over four quarters.
Scanning the horizon, you are surprised to see no rainbow.

By January, at the latest, the least observant of observers
Will have noticed that the trees are evergreen here in Eden. Turn
over:
Show your best side, among all these hot grilles.
You won't escape it, life in a solarium."

Thanks to Andrew McCallum Crawford for showcasing my poem 'The Rest and Be Thankful' on his Wee Fictions blog here. It was one of the first poems I ever had published so even though it's not in my pamphlet it has a special place in my heart!

The Rest, as it's known locally, was originally an old Drover road and an old military road through the Arrochar Alps. When the ferries are off it's our long route round to Glasgow. On a nice day it's a beautiful drive, on a day like yesterday you can see what it's like here, sixth picture down.

'So we found the end of our journey, So we stood alive in the river of light, Among the creatures of light, creatures of light.' - Ted Hughes

The ceremony to memorialise Ted Hughes in Poets Corner in Westminster Abbey took place on Tuesday. His plaque lies below T.S. Eliot's and alongsideTennyson's. In celebration I've started re-reading 'Epic Poise: A Celebration of Ted Hughes', edited by Nick Gammage, a wonderful collection of essays on the life and work of Hughes by a variety of contributors including Seamus Heaney, Blake Morrison, Andrew Motion, W.S. Mervin, Peter Redgrove and Kathleen Raine. You can see some news coverage of the ceremony here.

I guess reviews are like buses...! Yes! Another Vintage Sea review!

"Marion can write simple lines very well...on the other hand she has a kind of mystical side that stops the work being too mundane"

"Marion has the voice that some poets look for and never find or hear"

Thanks to Rachel for the lovely review on her blog alongside reviews of the very talented JoAnne McKay's Grave with Lights and fellow Calder Wood Press poet, Ross Wilson's, recently published collection The Heavy Bag. Rachel's market research reviewing style is a little bit different to the usual which makes it all the more interesting to read, which you can do - here!

Other good news this week - six poems accepted for the next issue of Shadowtrain!

"McCready has the uncanny ability to imbue even the most mundane, common place things with mystical properties"

"This is nature turned mythical and extraordinary, there is an acute awareness of life-cycles, weather patterns and things coming to some kind of fruition or ending. And through it all there is a deep running smouldering sensuality, a delight in the beauty and unpredictability of nature and a sense of place and of rootedness"

"McCready brings a heightened awareness to her subjects that make her poems a joy to read"

Thanks to Julia Webb and Ink, Sweat & Tears for this wonderful review of Vintage Sea which you can read here. I'm over the moon with it!!!

The influence of Roethke on Plath's poetry is no secret, however in an essay by Roger Elkin, 'Hidden Influences in the Poetry of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath', Elkin explores the idea that Roethke's poetry and creative theories greatly influenced Hughes also.
It's a fascinating essay detailing not only the similar themes and techniques such as animism and minimism and use of Jungian symbolism in the poetry of all three but also the role/purpose of poetry to tap into and explore the primitive, pre-conscious thus universal self. He obviously analyses Plath's 'Poem for a Birthday' but also thoroughly analyses Hughes' 'Wodwo' in the light of Roethke. You can find the essay here.

Another Brenhilda / Sula Sgeir poem

second draft

(poem removed)

Thanks to those who reminded me about this - The Baker Prize 2011 - a new annual writing competition organised by The Skye Literary Salon and The Isle of Skye Baking Company. There are categories for Gaelic poetry, Gaelic short story/script/prose, English short story/ script/ prose and English poetry. And it's free to enter!
The closing date is Nov 24th so get your entries in quick, I had better get my thinking cap on!

Calder Wood Press are having an end of year party combined with the launch of Ross Wilson's first collection, The Heavy Bag.Unfortunately I can't make it due to travel problems and childcare but it looks like it'll be a great night so if you're in the area it will be held at the Canon's Gait Cellar Bar, High Street, Edinburgh, Monday 5th December, 8pm. Free buffet included!

A few short poems I've been working on this morning

(poems removed)

I've just noticed that Kathleen Jamie is reading at StAnza 2012! I'm really excited about this, she's one of my favourite Scottish poets and she reads her poems wonderfully. You can hear her read some of her poems on the Poetry Archive website here.  The full list of participants is available here and looks like it'll be a great festival one again. Just from scanning the list I'm interested in hearing Niall Campbell and Richie McCaffery, a couple of young Scotland-based poets whose poems I've been impressed by when I've come across them in mags. I'd also like to get a chance to hear Michael Symmons Roberts, Robert Crawford and Simon Barraclough. I see Alistair Cook, an Edinburgh-based photographer who also creates wonderful short films to accompany poems, will be there. I can't wait!

The other day I was delighted to receive through the post a gorgeous new collection of poems by Morgan Downie interlaced with just as gorgeous photographs by the very talented Roxana Gita who also provides Romanian translations of Downie's poems. I'll be reviewing it on the blog sometime soon.

A short poem

First draft


The Fire-leaves of Autumn

(post removed)