Interesting response, Lazarus.
To be frank, for all his beautiful phrasing and dramatic rendering, I find Burton slightly strident.
I hear this poem, in my head, as more pleading, broken and humble. A Divine love letter 💌
RE: A Powerful Poem I Often Return to for Inspiration
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A Powerful Poem I Often Return to for Inspiration
Fair enough, Burton does layer it on pretty thick, although I think a lot of poets from this period especially were quite consciously affecting the same way through their writings... I don't think he'd get away with it when reading Plath - perhaps all English poetry was a bit of a stretch ;)
But its the 'Hound' of heaven! Power incarnate, surely. Although I suspect we're coming at it from quite different angles, I might have to read it again...
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Yes, I see what you mean... But, I maintain that booming Burton is better suited for the Hound of Heaven parts, not the contrite protagonist who is narrating the poem and living miserably with their god-shaped hole.
It's a believer's poem, to be sure -- more specifically, a convert's -- and when one has been through hell and back, they tend to sound less proud, more tender and sweetly defeated (I think).
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