Back in 2002 when I was studying English Literature, for one of the exams we had to study and memorise a whole load of poems by the American poet Emily Dickinson - if you've never heard of her, she was an eccentric, death-obsessed, white-dress-wearing poet, with terrible grammar, born in 1830's Massachusetts, only appreciated (by some) after her death. No, I shouldn't be too mean, she did give me quite a lot of entertainment at the time!
Anyway, one day, when I was probably supposed to be writing an essay, I was browsing on poetry.com, and I saw an advert for the International Open Poetry Contest. Well, I don't like to turn down a challenge. If Emily could do it with her crazy non-sensical poetry, then so could I!
I decided to compile a new poem, inspired by lines from various Emily Dickinson poems, but slightly modified for my own entertainment. It also includes random capitalisation in true Dickinson style! Truly terrible, but it made me laugh. Anyway, I mailed it in, and was wondering how long it would be before I got a slapped wrist for plagiarising and piss-taking one of America's most famous poets. Being judged by poetry.com, an American site, I thought it wouldn't be too long! So a few weeks passed, and then what comes through the post? None other than this..
"After carefully reading and discussing your poem, our selection committee has certified your poem as a semi-finalist in our International Open Poetry Contest."
They then went on to say that they wanted to publish my work in an anthology called "Letters from the Soul", and wanted to ask me to provide them with the story behind my poem, and my personal philosophical point of view to be included in the biographical section of the book! Furthermore, I was invited to the International Society of Poet's Fall Symposium in Hollywood. Oh no!! How embarrassing, it was meant to be a joke, and now it is going to appear in a book, so hundreds of Emily Dickinson fans could read it and be angry at me! Definitely couldn't go to the symposium, I'd be lynched, or at least sued by the Emily Dickinson society! Haha..
Anyway, here is the poem:
The fire drew Chill
by kipperfrog
I Started early - Took my Goat
We passed the Gazing Grain
And then I wanted to get out
Faith to regulate
The summer lapsed away
Or rather He passed us
Restraining rampant Squirrels
Sent us of the Air
Shadows held their breath
Extended Hempen Hands
Impatient of no child
I just love the things you find when you're routing through old files!
3 comments:
Your work reminded me of Lewis Carroll's poem "They told me you had been to her and mentioned me to him,and gave me a good character,but said I could'nt swim...",but obviously superior.
Poor Emily was obviously bananas,but the scary thing is that there are still people out there who say they like her style!
very cool
It is an odd thing how sometimes after losing or even forgetting about something, it can such a beautiful rediscovery.
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