In honor of Poetry Month

Although I'm kind of a philistine, as well as lazy, so this may be the only poem I post. Context: I once had the great pleasure of co-teaching a class with colleagues from the English department and, yes, the Chemistry department. The latter professor is probably one of the best examples of the modern Renaissance man that I know - a chemist who is also a poet, and who taught about medieval cosmologies and Dante. My English colleague assigned Boethius' The Consolations of Philosophy, and one day the Chemistry prof came in and distributed copies of the poem below to everyone in the class, because he'd just received one of the poetry journals he subscribed to and this poem was in it. One of the questions that the English prof asked the students to consider of Boethius was, Is this consoling? and I personally found the poem an incredibly satisfactory response. Dedicated especially to medievalists.

TO THE CONSOLATIONS OF PHILOSOPHY

Thank you but
not just at the moment

I know you will say
I have said that before
I know you have been
there all along somewhere
in another time zone

I studied once
those beautiful instructions
when I was young and
far from here
they seemed distant then
they seem distant now
from everything I remember

I hope they stayed with you
when the noose started to tighten
and you could say no more
and after wisdom
and the days of iron
the eyes started from your head

I know the words
must have been set down
partly for yourself
unjustly condemned after
a good life

I know the design
of the world is beyond
our comprehension
thank you
but grief is selfish and in
the present when
the stars do not seem to move
I was not listening

I know it is not
sensible to expect
fortune to grant her
gifts forever
I know

    -- W. S. Merwin

Comments

[Phantom Scribbler]

This is wonderful. Thank you for posting it!

[wolfangel]

Merwin is possibly my favourite poet. I think my favourite of his is Words from a totem animal, but I also like The ships are made ready in silence. (I don't have others up online.)

[heading out]

Oh, boy, can I steal this, it's so appropriate!

[Scrivener]

This really is beautiful. Thanks so much for posting it.