I knew that the image of the wind blowing back the waves’ foam like horses’ manes was taken from somewhere – but it was such an a propos image – there really is no other way to say it or describe it – that I went with it anyway. Of course then I had to go track it down which was not hard since I’ve been on a TS Eliot kick. From “The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock”:<\/p>\n
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.<\/p>\n
I do not think that they will sing to me.<\/p>\n
I have seen them riding seaward on the waves
\nCombing the white hair of the waves blown back
\nWhen the wind blows the water white and black.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nPerfection! And it got me to thinking about literature and narrative – and what comes first? If you read widely and deeply, your brain is full of references, fragments, contexts, interpretations – handed down from others. Part of this is awesome, part of it is not – especially if you are trying to create something yourself (there is a reason why people like William Carlos Williams and Hart Crane said that their main struggle as artists were to AVOID the influence of TS Eliot, no easy task) … but it is an interesting thing in life, and one that gives me a lot of pleasure, and makes me happy and grateful that I am an educated person. Educated in the humanities, yes, so I have all this stuff to call upon in my brain – but also self-educated, self-taught, following my own whims …. There are times when I need to track the images down. One must not steal. But then something comes along – like wind being blown backward off the waves – and you realize that someone has already nailed it down<\/i>, and so perfectly, that there is nothing to do but parrot them, because it feels like they said it for<\/i> you. They handed you the image, knowing that you have noticed such things too, and said, “Here. Isn’t this just what it is like?”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I knew that the image of the wind blowing back the waves’ foam like horses’ manes was taken from somewhere – but it was such an a propos image – there really is no other way to say it or … Continue reading