【eroticism and anxiety response】
Christopher Middleton,eroticism and anxiety response 1926–2015
In Memoriam
Christopher Middleton
We’ve received word that the poet Christopher Middleton has passed away at eighty-nine. Guy Davenport called him “an incomparable stylist, a wry ironist, a philosopher of words. The only category in which he fits justly,” he added, “is that of poet.” The Review published Middleton throughout his career, beginning in our Summer–Fall 1960 issue, from which the poem below, “Edward Lear in February,” is taken.
Edward Lear in February
Since last September I’ve been trying to describe
Two moonstone hills,
And an ochre mountain, by candlelight, behind,
But a lizard has been sick into the ink,
A cat keeps clawing at me, you should see my face,
I’m too intent to dodge.
Out of the corner of my eye,
An old man (he’s putting almonds into a bag)
Stoops in sunlight, closer than the hills.
But all the time these bats flick at me
And plop, like foetuses, all over the blotting paper.
Someone began playing a gong outside, once.
I liked that, it helped; but in a flash
Neighbours were pelting him with their slippers and things,
Bits of coke and old railway timetables.
I have come unstuck in this cellar. Help.
Pacing up and down in my own shadow
Has stopped me liking the weight it falls from.
That lizard looks like being sick again. The owls
Have built a stinking nest on the Eighteenth Century.
So much for two moonstone hills,
Ochre mountain, old man
Cramming all those almonds into a bag.
Search
Categories
Popular Posts
The Best Sports Video Game of All Time
2025-06-27 03:57With prestige TV like 'Westworld,' sometimes less is more
2025-06-27 03:33The 'Westworld' Season 2 finale explained by its creators
2025-06-27 03:11Ariana Grande will defend Kim Kardashian's nudes until she dies
2025-06-27 03:09Featured Posts
How to quit social media: This Gen Z
2025-06-27 02:37Aerie refused to photoshop its ads for two years and sales spiked
2025-06-27 02:25Female pilots who flew during WWII can now be buried at Arlington
2025-06-27 02:16Getting Started with Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts
2025-06-27 01:20Popular Articles
Why we could be watching 'The Simpsons' for another 30 seasons
2025-06-27 02:17GPU Availability and Pricing Update: April 2022
2025-06-27 01:25Newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.
Comments (227)
Creation Information Network
Ms. Frizzle spotted at Science Marches across the globe
2025-06-27 03:46Prosperous Times Information Network
Uber admits it had safety issues in London, wins back license
2025-06-27 03:35Universe Information Network
Praise Yeezus: Cool church uses Kanye West lyrics to inspire us sinners
2025-06-27 03:03Creation Information Network
Apple's retail chief reveals the future of its iconic stores
2025-06-27 02:08Warmth Information Network
Clean energy projects soared in 2016 as solar and wind got cheaper
2025-06-27 02:05