The End of The World: A Poem for the Apocalypse

Bob Hale 21/12/12

So this is the end of the world
and this is the last poem,
sent out into the darkness,
forgotten words on a fluttering paper –
as infinite and empty
as the Universe itself.

So this is the end of the world
and this is the last poem,
unknown, unloved and unread
the poet's last immortal gasp, then silence –
an unvoiced dead language
for a dead eternity.

So this is the end of the world,
and this is the last poem,
surviving the apocalypse,
outlasting every other word in every tongue –
this, and only this, lives on
in memoriam.

So this is the end of the world,
and this is the la

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BobHale,

Very nice, Bob. Now we'll see, won't we?

7:00 next morning

Damn!
<Tears up poem, scatters from fifth floor window>.

We're still going here in the U.S....

Fkor my take, you are directed to the Moline thread....

I know it will cause a row
From those who are cleverer than I
But I really can't understand
How
Dividing a piece of prose
Into separate lines
Makes it
A poem.

And if you think that what I did in writing that poem was divide a piece of prose into arbitrary lines then you have even less understanding of poetry than I assumed. (And the bar was low to begin with.)

You will never understand.
Learn to live with it.

You will never understand.
Learn to live with it.

Now that's a poem!

quote:

Originally posted by BobHale:
And if you think that what I did in writing that poem was divide a piece of prose into arbitrary lines then you have even less understanding of poetry than I assumed. (And the bar was low to begin with.)

You will never understand.
Learn to live with it.

So is what I wrote a poem or not? And if not, is it simply because I didn't set out to write one? And had I posted it claiming it was a poem, would that make it one?

An if you were to remove the line breaks from your piece and repunctuates it as prose, is it then prose or poetry? And why?

I shall not repeat myself.

I shall not repeat myself.

Another great poem, Bob; you're on fire! (This one even lacks line breaks.)

quote:

Originally posted by BobHale:
I shall not repeat myself.

I didn't ask you to repeat yourself. I asked you to answer my questions.

But I won't get into an argument about modern art, be it poetry that doesn't rhyme, scan or make sense; periods of silence masquerading as music and calves heads in formaldehyde posing as art.

You have your opinion; I have mine and, until someone can find a satisfactory definition of art that can then be backed up with facts, opinions they will remain.

A bit like religion, really (which is why I am an atheist - at least we atheists do have some facts to support our position)

Whatever happened to the, if not Christmas spirit, at least "I-Survived-The-End-Of-The-World" spirit?

We've talked about this before. Link, Link, Link, Link, and Link.

There is not going to be agreement on this discussion, and since we have been discussing it since at least 2004, I'd suggest we let it go...at least for now.

I don't need to look at the links to remind myself!

Unfortunately there is no point in arguing about beliefs by quoting facts. Beliefs about something as vague and indefinable as art is just as pointless as arguing about religion.

Those who believe in, say, creation are never going to be swayed by quoting the thousands of facts that prove that evolution is the way that humankind came about.

Similarly those who believe that an unmade bed is great art are not going to be swayed by the fact that there are thousands of unmade beds around - none of them art.

As a Jehovah's Witness once actually said to me, "We know what we believe - don't try to alter our beliefs with your facts".

Richard E: "We know what we believe - don't try to alter our beliefs with your facts" -- exactly what Romney's campaign pronounced in August..

Robert's work is a poem by virtue of the repetition of the first 2 lines in each stanza, providing rhythm & forward momentum, but you knew that!

Each January I lead a 'poetry' session of my annual book club. You'll be pleased to note that this year's topic is "The Return of Formalism"!

It's a very good thing that there were obviously enough sensible Americans around to see the nonsense of Romney's statement!

Mind you, in a country where nearly 50% of the population believe in creationism - http://www.gallup.com/poll/155...w-human-origins.aspx - I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at any result.

quote:

I don't need to look at the links to remind myself!

Apparently you do!

From the first line of your poem above ("I know it will cause a row..."), you clearly are trying to create dissension here, though I can't understand why. I feel we have been as fair to you as is humanly possible.

As an administrator and the one (along with Shu) who pays for this private site, I won't have it. Our members are too precious to me. I don't want to lose Bob; we have already lost Geoff. Therefore, I am closing this thread. I hate to stifle discussion, but I feel this is necessary.