"Twice Shy" by Seamus Heaney (poetry reading)

Americans tend to emphasise a lot more words when speaking or reading. To British ears that makes it sound like it was all written in capital letters, which interferes with the metre and the inflections of colloquial speech.

To hear an American read it - which you might very well prefer if you are American, I am contrasting, not criticising - listen here:
http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/twice-shy/13205367

The photo is "Hawk and Thrush", winner of FC Photographer Award 2009
(Junior category) by Julian Pole-Evans

Her scarf a la Bardot,
In suede flats for the walk,
She came with me one evening
For air and friendly talk.
We crossed the quiet river,
Took the embankment walk.

Traffic holding its breath,
Sky a tense diaphragm:
Dusk hung like a backcloth
That shook where a swan swam,
Tremulous as a hawk
Hanging deadly, calm.

A vacuum of need
Collapsed each hunting heart
But tremulously we held
As hawk and prey apart,
Preserved classic decorum,
Deployed our talk with art.

Our Juvenilia
Had taught us both to wait,
Not to publish feeling
And regret it all too late -
Mushroom loves already
Had puffed and burst in hate.

So, chary and excited,
As a thrush linked on a hawk,
We thrilled to the March twilight
With nervous childish talk:
Still waters running deep
Along the embankment walk.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Twice
• Shy
• Seamus
• Heaney
• poem
• poetry

[thissong4you]

I love this...to hell with all the blather about this accent or that...

[SpokenVerse]

@trewknyght I apologise, because I see that wasn't addressed to me. I don't have an educated BBC English accent myself, I'm Irish with father from Yorkshire, it's a working-class voice.

[trewknyght]

@SpokenVerse --- No sir, I was quoting SBennett225.  As far as why I think the American accent to be closer to the Elizabethan, is for the reason of hearing it mentioned by John Barton and another gentleman from the RSC. Trevor Nunn has apparently proclaimed the same belief. I generally agree with your opinion on accents and although I am an American, I understand what you mean about the capital-letter sound.

[SpokenVerse]

@trewknyght Whenever did I say that I "abhor what americans have done with the language"? Are you quoting me? I certainly don't think so. All accents are different and interesting in their own way.

Why do you think that the American accent is closer to the Elizabethans? |Scholars think that a modern Yorkshire accent is closer because it gives full distinct value to the vowels, which modern English and American accents don't. American o's sound like a's, for instance.

[trewknyght]

@SBennett225 --- Is it not interesting that you "abhor what Americans have done with the language" and yet the American accent is closer to the accent of the Elizabethan era, or we could say, the golden age of English literature.

[Ozrielos]

Isn't it astonishing just how many metaphors he manages to cram into the poem? birds, poets (re. juvenilia), waters, "air", etc...all without sounding discordant or overstuffed. How does he do that?

[scifiwritir]

uhm.... interesting what you say about Americans reading poetry. Outside of poetry-readings, American accents are generally considered flat. I'm a poet and I've noticed how American poets tend to fall into an Americanized pattern of reading. Am Jamaican, myself, so I tend to sing when I speak. And when I read poetry I simply speak it. Oops, sorry for the ramble. Great reading. As usual.

[SBennett225]

You are a treasure, and agree with your statement. I abhor what Americans have done with the language. The news announced the US is proposing English be officially named as our language. I thought of you and wondered what you may have to offer, as I object and felt offended.

[belisariusorb]

The metre and the subject matter are so reminiscent of Yeats. Listening to you read it I'd swear it was him rather than Heaney.

[greyhoundfriend123]

I never realized there was that much difference. I'm American so of course I heard the words of the American reader much clearer. (Yes they do seem to shout) But he lost all feeling and emotion of your reading. Thank you!