Comments on: Earthquake Poetry in the NYTimes http://jueseph.com/2008/05/earthquake-poetry-in-the-nytimes/ home Fri, 04 May 2012 06:09:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: cj http://jueseph.com/2008/05/earthquake-poetry-in-the-nytimes/comment-page-1/#comment-115 cj Fri, 30 May 2008 15:31:52 +0000 http://jueseph.com/blog/?p=172#comment-115 For some reason the chinese doesn't show up completely on my laptop, but I can get the gist of it. It is very stream-of-consciousness, especially in the way the perspective switches without much warning. I haven't read Beloved, but I've read other Toni Morrison and I mean, they all have themes of childhood and loss and grief and stuff, so I get what you're saying. For some reason the chinese doesn’t show up completely on my laptop, but I can get the gist of it. It is very stream-of-consciousness, especially in the way the perspective switches without much warning. I haven’t read Beloved, but I’ve read other Toni Morrison and I mean, they all have themes of childhood and loss and grief and stuff, so I get what you’re saying.

]]> By: Wang http://jueseph.com/2008/05/earthquake-poetry-in-the-nytimes/comment-page-1/#comment-110 Wang Wed, 28 May 2008 14:52:35 +0000 http://jueseph.com/blog/?p=172#comment-110 I dunno if this is part of what you're getting at, but the poem is even more spiritual / stream-of-consciousness in the original Chinese. The translation is inevitably a little clunky at certain lines. Also, if you've read Toni Morrison's Beloved, there is a chapter near the end with a poem that echoes the themes of loss of a child here, but with the added literary touches of raw historical trauma, shame, and guilt: "You are my face; I am you. Why did you leave me who am you? I will never leave you again Don't ever leave me again" I dunno if this is part of what you’re getting at, but the poem is even more spiritual / stream-of-consciousness in the original Chinese. The translation is inevitably a little clunky at certain lines. Also, if you’ve read Toni Morrison’s Beloved, there is a chapter near the end with a poem that echoes the themes of loss of a child here, but with the added literary touches of raw historical trauma, shame, and guilt:

“You are my face; I am you. Why did you leave me who am you?
I will never leave you again
Don’t ever leave me again”

]]> By: cj http://jueseph.com/2008/05/earthquake-poetry-in-the-nytimes/comment-page-1/#comment-109 cj Wed, 28 May 2008 04:03:36 +0000 http://jueseph.com/blog/?p=172#comment-109 beautiful poem. the picture is amazing too. it's a really touching expression of the whole vague idea of heaven and reincarnation which opens spirituality up to a universal reading as opposed to just buddhism. this poem is very chinese, and yet it also has an appeal that transcends cultural boundaries. beautiful poem. the picture is amazing too. it’s a really touching expression of the whole vague idea of heaven and reincarnation which opens spirituality up to a universal reading as opposed to just buddhism. this poem is very chinese, and yet it also has an appeal that transcends cultural boundaries.

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