Comments on: April 26: W. B. Yeats’s “Down by the Salley Gardens” http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2011/04/26/yeats/ Knopf Doubleday Wed, 16 May 2012 19:08:01 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 By: Melvin Rosenberg http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2011/04/26/yeats/comment-page-1/#comment-45368 Melvin Rosenberg Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:51:53 +0000 http://knopfdoubleday.com/?p=16427#comment-45368 Now I remember. I first heard Down by the Salley Gardens sung by the great English contralto Kathleen Ferrier. The recordings of Ferrier may still be available. I fell in love with both the song and the voice. I consider her one of the great voices of the 20th century. Her greatest recording is of Mahler's Kindertoten Lieder, which I own. Ferrier died young, but her legend is very much alive. Now I remember. I first heard Down by the Salley Gardens sung by the great English contralto Kathleen Ferrier. The recordings of Ferrier may still be available. I fell in love with both the song and the voice. I consider her one of the great voices of the 20th century. Her greatest recording is of Mahler’s Kindertoten Lieder, which I own. Ferrier died young, but her legend is very much alive.

]]> By: Harvey Wachtel http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2011/04/26/yeats/comment-page-1/#comment-45367 Harvey Wachtel Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:41:18 +0000 http://knopfdoubleday.com/?p=16427#comment-45367 I totally agree with R. L. Lyons about the poetry, but I think he's too pessimistic (and too hard on himself) about "until it is too late". A more realistic assessment might be that there are some things that have to be learned the hard way, but they do get learned. I totally agree with R. L. Lyons about the poetry, but I think he’s too pessimistic (and too hard on himself) about “until it is too late”. A more realistic assessment might be that there are some things that have to be learned the hard way, but they do get learned.

]]> By: R. L. Lyons http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2011/04/26/yeats/comment-page-1/#comment-45366 R. L. Lyons Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:32:55 +0000 http://knopfdoubleday.com/?p=16427#comment-45366 W. B. Yeats’ “Down by the Salley Gardens,” shows how opening ideas and a satisfying close can build a well-structured poem/song. It also highlights a couple of my irksome traits; never listening, and not learning until it is too late. R.L.L. W. B. Yeats’ “Down by the Salley Gardens,” shows how opening ideas and a satisfying close can build a well-structured poem/song.

It also highlights a couple of my irksome traits; never listening, and not learning until it is too late.

R.L.L.

]]> By: Harvey Wachtel http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2011/04/26/yeats/comment-page-1/#comment-45365 Harvey Wachtel Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:42:11 +0000 http://knopfdoubleday.com/?p=16427#comment-45365 The similarity of this to Housman's "When I Was One-and-twenty" is striking. Besides the obvious similarity in subject, the meter and rhyme schemes are nearly identical. And the common subject matter leads in both to a striking grammatical device: a shift at the very conclusion from past to present tense as the mood switches from tension to sad resolution. I wonder if either was inspired by the other, or both from common folk sources. The similarity of this to Housman’s “When I Was One-and-twenty” is striking. Besides the obvious similarity in subject, the meter and rhyme schemes are nearly identical. And the common subject matter leads in both to a striking grammatical device: a shift at the very conclusion from past to present tense as the mood switches from tension to sad resolution. I wonder if either was inspired by the other, or both from common folk sources.

]]> By: Madeline A. Gouin http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2011/04/26/yeats/comment-page-1/#comment-45364 Madeline A. Gouin Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:36:49 +0000 http://knopfdoubleday.com/?p=16427#comment-45364 W. B. Yeats’s “Down by the Salley Gardens,” expresses regret, something I believe, is not necessary. His stillness as a writer, captures the essence of regret, bringing the reader to this place of experience as it is lived. W. B. Yeats’s “Down by the Salley Gardens,” expresses regret, something I believe, is not necessary. His stillness as a writer, captures the essence of regret, bringing the reader to this place of experience as it is lived.

]]> By: Melvin Rosenberg http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2011/04/26/yeats/comment-page-1/#comment-45363 Melvin Rosenberg Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:21:25 +0000 http://knopfdoubleday.com/?p=16427#comment-45363 So, Mr Sondheim, the poet Yeast was also a song lyricist. And the great Homer may have sung his poems. I first heard this as a song and learned to sing it myself, and have performed it, with an accompaniment composed by Benjamin Britten. It was sung and recorded by Peter Pears. Anyone who has never heard it has a treat in store. Imagine, one of the great poets of the 20th century writing a great song lyric. So, Mr Sondheim, the poet Yeast was also a song lyricist. And the great Homer may have sung his poems. I first heard this as a song and learned to sing it myself, and have performed it, with an accompaniment composed by Benjamin Britten. It was sung and recorded by Peter Pears. Anyone who has never heard it has a treat in store. Imagine, one of the great poets of the 20th century writing a great song lyric.

]]> By: F. Couvares http://poem-a-day.knopfdoubleday.com/2011/04/26/yeats/comment-page-1/#comment-45362 F. Couvares Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:08:18 +0000 http://knopfdoubleday.com/?p=16427#comment-45362 If one wanted an example of how a poem can be at once utterly conventional and utterly fresh, this would be it. If one wanted an example of how a poem can be at once utterly conventional and utterly fresh, this would be it.

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