Wednesday, July 8, 2015

When the Blackbird Flew Out of Sight

In my blog's first month in July of 2010, I wrote about the Hartford businessman-poet
Wallace Stevens, and the thirteen granite stones that now mark his walk to work.


The ninth stone is in front of a fine brick house on Asylum Avenue (a major Hartford thoroughfare).
I couldn't decide whether to take a photo of the stone, or the house, or the fence.
So I took photos of all of them.





I have read Stevens' Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird multiple times and I still don't have a clue what it is about.  So, I went to Wikipedia to become illuminated.
Perspectivism?  Huh?

16 comments:

Stefan Jansson said...

I have never understood poetry. But will try and read this one.

LOLfromPasa said...

I'll have a go. The collection of photos is perfect. Wonder what Lowell's comment will be :).

Luis Gomez said...

I am not into poetry but I do like the images Jack.

EG CameraGirl said...

I read the poem and have to agree with Wikipedia that "it creates an aura of mystery." ;))

Birdman said...

Took a course on Wallace Stevens in college... had forgotten he was a New England poet. He could be pretty cryptic.
BTW-- asylums (avenue) and insurance sort of go hand in hand in my book. haha

VP said...

You just convinced me not to read Wallace Stevens...

Sylvia K said...

Great images for the day as always, Jack!! And, yes, like vP, you just convinced me not to read Wallace Stevens!! Hope your week is going well!

Sharon said...

I love the photos and I did read the Wikipedia description and I'm guessing that the description there is every bit as confusing as the poem itself.

RedPat said...

Read the Wikipedia link and am still confused, Jack!

cieldequimper said...

Sorry I can't enlighten you further... but I do like the rock.

William Kendall said...

Poetry just baffles me. One of my friends writes a lot of it, and all I can say is "that's a good one."

I do like the look of the place!

Mo said...

Still not enough to make a pie if you read the nursery rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence

Kay said...

Gee, Jack. If it's carved in granite it's got to be important and good, right? Right??

Lowell said...

Sometimes some poets can be confusing. Sometimes. I don't know from "perspectivism," or why it would be a form of poetry. Would a poem about math be divisionism? See what I mean about confusing?

Thanks for your nice comment. I was thinking about the daughter of the woman you worked with who was a fence person. I'd guess that meant you were pretty much on the defense most of the time. Oui?

Randy said...

Beautiful place.

Bob Crowe said...

I think it was Marianne Moore who said a poem should not mean, but be. Something to consider. Photographers can be as literal or obscure as we choose.