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Francis Spufford's avatar

Or: 'As an unimportant scribe/Writes I HATE THE EMPIRE'S VIBE'. Bit too 21st century, though.

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Adam Roberts's avatar

"As an officer worker writes/WORK IS SOMETHING ONE DISLIKES"

It's hard, actually.

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Ray Davis's avatar

One of my favorites as well. Maybe at the top.

This American would have a hard time hearing the "present Age of Trump" in a British pronunciation of "clerk"; besides, that would stanch the century-spanning leak-through of Bartleby.

On the other hand I'm troubled not at all by the link of "Disciplines" and "Marines". English poesy sounds better with half-rhymes than full (less forced; more chime and less jingle-jangle). "Tell all the form but tell it slant."

The reindeer, of course, are moving north due to global warming, and need to move faster every week.

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KEN MACLEOD's avatar

This poem has the best use of anachronism I know of. The rhyme that bothers me is 'disciplines' with 'Marines'. The fast-moving vast herds of reindeer, I sometimes think, are keeping ahead of a barbarian migration.

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Adam Roberts's avatar

discipleens/marines .... disciplins/marins ... trickym yes.

So you don't think the reindeer are waiting for the barbarians? https://medium.com/adams-notebook/cavafys-awaiting-the-barbarians-1904-118ce0601f79

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