ALL THAT'S PAST - Walter de la Mare

A miniature classic.
'The great cultural question for me personally is how to - not reject religion (and that is easy enough to do) - but how to TRANSCEND it. You would not want to lose those great traditions nor wipe away their sense of moral proportion. Furthermore the challenge is to make something of the magnificent architecture; sublime music, painting and poetry, that it has, over the centuries, produced.'
Christopher Hitchens.
In the light of this line de la Mare's Janus-like poem, looking as it does in both directions; to the past of 'we men' and forward to inevitable silence, can be seen to suggest something more profound and more disturbing.




Came across this the other day. Forget 'The Age of Stupid' and 'The Day After Tomorrow' this 50 minute+ documentary says it all. Kogi; "The Elder Brothers' warning"
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-521537373096312859#

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Walter de la Mare
• Live poetry
• 'Paradise
• Lost'
• Very old are the woods
• Chistopher Hitchens
• The Kogi

[dragonheart130]

Another wonderful reading, thank you :-)

[Caspar33]

@dragonheart130 Thanks once more. I think you might like Solitude by Lewis Carroll

and maybe Adlestrop by Edward Thomas.

[TheCatalinalira]

Fantastic poem, voice and the video as a whole. Thank you Fred.

[Caspar33]

@TheCatalinalira Thanks so much for that! Deceptively simple that poem and says it all - as all great poems do I guess. Very best wishes to you - enjoy the great weather when it comes along.

[sonofwalt]

Beautiful reading.

[Caspar33]

@sonofwalt Thanks for that. Best wishes to you.

[dragonheart130]

@Caspar33 Thanks I'll have a look (and a listen) for them :-))

[TheCatalinalira]

@Caspar33 Thank you Fred!

[Caspar33]

@loctia1 What a charming comment. Very nice of you. All the very best. F.

[loctia1]

Wonderful reading! The trees in your video are stunningly beautiful with their aged branches of symmetry. Your discussion of transcending religion rather than rejecting it speaks to how I view religion; you phrase your beliefs better than I can. My mother read Walter to me when I was a small child. Cheers and good wishes always, Hunter