inversions in poetry

[abu nuwas]

And, how could I have left Milo crying in the wilderness, for just one line --just one line, written in the last 100 years by a published poet?  Not good or bad -- just published. Since 1915 (was that the year inversion's permit ran out? I had wondered about that one). If I were going to respond now, a poem written by Edith Sitwell might come to mind. It was about the Blitz, in 1940. She was a nutty old girl, but fifteen years later, I had to study the poem in school. It is called - don't laugh - 'Still falls the Rain' . I suppose more moving would be ''Still pissing down, ffs''


 

There have actually been thousands of poems published in the last 100 years with inversions - my quest wasn't to suggest there weren't.  Step 2, after the poem was produced, should have been a nifty analysis of what was accomplished through the use of inversion that qualified its use.

Alas, no one took up the gauntlet.

My friend, by giving a possible alternative for the title alone, I not only seized the gauntlet, but challenged anyone to produce their own, new, improved, version of Ms Sitwell's title alone -- the rest of the poem has plenty of inversions, too. I would concede that it was written in special times. Her natural liking for the archaic may have had a resonance which later generations, or foreigners, might miss. As for me having to show how valuable this device is -or that it is a device - I think that puts the burden of proof the wrong way about. If I like bananas, and you tell me I ought not to, the onus rests with you . Since the old saying about not be able to argue about taste remains as true as ever, that might be difficult.

Naturally, the last thing I want to do is to dredge all this up, old bean,  though I have a completely open mind.

Perhaps I shall actually post something.

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Hi, abu.

Whittling away does not leave no adornment, there's plenty of room for beautiful language. It's not that nothing is left, it's just finely focused.

I love that your example uses "still", I've fought for that word myself here, it has a wonderful turn to it, and is full of secrets and songs.

Hi,

You mean 'still' is no longer in common usage in the US?

I admire laconic speech -- I just can't do it. As to whittling, I am a bit surprised that the wheel has not turned by now. Same with 'installations' -- been going on forever, yet people still dream up whacky 'new' things. My Sis had an exhibition in the Summer, with other people, which she almost immediately regretted. There were her beautiful paintings, much indifferent stuff, and, ffs, a deck-chair, arranged with some sun-glasses. Like, wow! The guy had the effrontery to put a price of £5000-00 on it. 

I suppose the whittlers will whittle and preach whittling, and the adorners will do the same, mutatis mutandis.  

The US has nothing to do with it, I've been urged by members worldwide to remove the mighty Still. I've left it in place, I've twisted and tortured it but, still, my love for it is not diminished.

But why Ella? Have the ignorant Creative Writing people got something round the wrong way again?  It's nuts.