Anecdotal Evidence

விதியினை நகுவன அயில்வழி- பிடியின் கதியினை நகுவன தளர்நடை-கமலப் பொதியினை நகுவன புணர்முலை- கலைவாள் மதியினை நகுவன வனிதையர் வதனம் - பால காண்டம், கம்பராமாயணம் "X is mocked at by Y (which is greater)" is the framework of this verse. I maintain a largely hostile attitude towards verse libre- particularly in Tamil. There has been a historical overemphasis on capturing the moment and expressing, to the extent of viewing form and conscious sculpting as antithetical to art itself.I find it hard to see spontaneity as its own argument.The pretense of spontaneity is sometimes at the core of a poem. There has been a lot of lip-service paid to the expression: 'knowing the grammar before breaking it', that I am bordering cynical on that. But there are some pretenses of spontaneity that do pull me back, make me enjoy and even believe (or atleast want to believe) the importance of 'the moment', the afflatus overpowering rules. (a la ஆத்திரம் கொண்டவர்க்கே கண்ணம்மா/ சாத...

A caterpillar this deep in autumn still not a butterfly -Matsuo Basho

G.K.Chesterton most famously said Angels fly because they take themselves lightly Let's ignore that and celebrate the virtue of self-consciousness along the lines of Matsuo Basho the founding-father, so to speak, of Haiku. He once recalled something he wrote ten years earlier and mentioned to his pupil, how the last line should have been re-written. A poem is never really completed, only abandoned - Paul Valery via AKR Here is something abandoned in 2004, 2006 and 2007 and further scissored down further this morning Brittle Beauty A moment’s beauty is always there For every creature that was around It’s only those who’ve some to spare Who give hope of life unbound. But then there are morals, then there is shame And worse: ‘each one has an innate talent’ God! Whoever said ‘twas a fair game? It’s just us cynics who are gallant The rest go armed with handkerchieves That play purdah to the eager eyes Evolution indeed from the days of fig leaves But then, Adam hadn’t a choice So here ...