Poem of the Day
This Living Hand
This living hand, now warm and capable
Of earnest grasping, would, if it were cold
And in the icy silence of the tomb,
So haunt thy days and chill thy dreaming nights
That thou wouldst wish thine own heart dry of blood
So in my veins red life might stream again,
And thou be conscience-calmed—see here it is—
I hold it towards you.
John Keats
This living hand, now warm and capable
Of earnest grasping, would, if it were cold
And in the icy silence of the tomb,
So haunt thy days and chill thy dreaming nights
That thou wouldst wish thine own heart dry of blood
So in my veins red life might stream again,
And thou be conscience-calmed—see here it is—
I hold it towards you.
John Keats
posted by Kate Marie | 1:12 AM | Permalink
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13 comments
13 Comments:
Ugh. That's sounds vaguely creepy.
Is Living Hand a cousin or Justice Learned Hand? Just wondering.
I wonder how Keats would have reacted to the prospecct of his very own peanut gallery?
Keats me!
I wonder if Tom Lehrer was thinking of this poem when he wrote his song "I Hold Your Hand in Mine"?
I think he is describing The Hand That Rocks The Cradle well in advance of the invention of film. Very prescient.
Daryl Ann, I think my favorite is "The Eve of Saint Agnes." Leave it to you to fall in love with dead poets, though -- I saved my love for fictional characters. At least they're still alive.
Jeff, who on earth is that and are you a big fan? The song *was* kinda funny.
Tom Lehrer was a Harvard mathematician who had a brief career as a piano-playing comedian during the late 1950s/early 1960s. He put out three or four albums before returning to academia. (At the time, he was considered a bit risque; now, his humor seems witty and sophisticated.) I think he still teaches somewhere in California.
If you ever saw the 1970s kids' show "Electric Company" on PBS, you may have heard a couple of his songs for children: "Silent E" or "-ly."
Oh, my gosh, I remember both those songs!
Funny how what's considered risque for one generation gets reclassified as witty for another. Maybe Wedding Crashers will be considered a witty and urbane comedy at mid-century, and then I won't feel slightly guilty for having laughed at it.
KM, you're giving your (young) age away saying you know Electric Company but not Tom Lehrer. Bet you don't know Phil Ochs, either. Tsk tsk.
CIV, I'm old enough to be happy to be accused of being young ...
I remember Phil Ochs, but I'm sure that wouldn't interest anybody, outside of a small circle of friends.
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