unamaga: (playing my guitar)
unamaga ([personal profile] unamaga) wrote2007-02-15 04:13 am
Entry tags:

ahem.

Excuse me, but this needs to come out or I'll do something silly like explode in a BAZILLION ANGRY, BABBLING PIECES. So, a literary rant.

Poetry should not be changed without the author's permission. Even if they are dead, they were still the creative force behind the words and, by changing them, you are pretty much discrediting their creative ability. And on top of that, erasing entire verses because you don't think they should be there? Just, arbitrarily? That's not only disrespectful to the author, that's disrespectful to the reader, who wants to know what the author him or herself had to say, not the editor.

What I'm getting at here is Emily Dickinson was arguably one of the best poets of all time, and taking away all the things about her poetry that made it hers, uniquely, is absolutely disgusting. Case in point:

I felt a funeral in my brain,
And mourners, to and fro,
Kept treading, treading, till it seemed
That sense was breaking through.  

And when they all were seated,
A service like a drum
Kept beating, beating, till I thought
My mind was going numb  

And then I heard them lift a box,
And creak across my soul
With those same boots of lead, again.
Then space began to toll  

As all the heavens were a bell,
And being, but an ear,
And I and Silence some strange Race
Wrecked, solitary, here.
I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,
And Mourners to and fro
Kept treading—treading—till it seemed
That Sense was breaking through—  

And when they all were seated,
A Service, like a Drum—
Kept beating—beating—till I thought
My Mind was going numb—  

And then I heard them lift a Box
And creak across my Soul
With those same Boots of Lead, again,
Then Space—began to toll,  

As all the Heavens were a Bell,
And Being, but an Ear,
And I, and Silence, some strange Race
Wrecked, solitary, here—  

And then a Plank in Reason, broke,
And I dropped down, and down—
And hit a World, at every plunge,
And Finished knowing—then—  

Is anyone but me seeing a huge difference between the two of them? The one on the left is after the editing was done, and the one on the right is pure Emily. Aside from the MISSING END VERSE, the edited one has also lost all of its capitalization and changed its punctuation altogether. Where did those commas come from? Where did the dashes go? Probably into the editor's pocket along with that huge wad of cash.

Even pushing away the disrespect for Emily Dickinson here, where does all of this change leave the reader in terms of reading? Not only is the meaning of the entire poem completely lost, the rhythm is gone and so is the mood. If you don't have those emphatic capitals, you don't understand the characterization Emily puts into her work; if you don't have the punctuation, you can't possibly read the poem in the right context - there's just no way you can capture the same choppy, slightly overwhelming tone.

All of which means: IT JUST MAKES ME MAD OK? I'm shutting up now. Any of you that are still, like, here? You guys get some music, because you're pretty awesome and you certainly deserve it.

-Prince - Get Off
Kinda dirty and hot, but also just plain fun because, c'mon, it's Prince. And it's totally one of those songs you dance around your room to when no one's watching.

-Blue Oyster Cult - Moon Crazy
This is one of those songs I never knew I knew, even though I did know in a really vague way. That made no sense. You'll understand once you listen - it's really catchy and its kind of like you've always known the melody, but you can't quite place where from.

-The Strokes & Regina Spektor - Post-modern Girls
First time I listened to this, I had no idea who Regina Spektor was. I believe I said something along the lines of, "NO! I CAN'T HEAR JULIAN, GO AWAY HOR!!" at the time, but now I take it all back. It's a really fantastic blend of both their styles and, yes. So much love.

-The Prodigy - Wake Up Call
Yeah, I don't know what to say about this one. It's kind of insane and it gets your blood pumping. I like to listen to it when I'm dragging.

-Bjork - Oceania
This song actually amazes me in a way not many songs do. Say what you'd like about Bjork's quirky habits, but the woman can certainly write music and she has a hell of a voice for such a tiny thing. Apparently this was written specifically for an awards ceremony of sorts in Greece, and the London Choir is who backs her up. Man.

-The Books - Don't Even Sing About It
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, and very specifically put together. Not really vocal music, per say, but still moving.

-Dirty Pretty Things - Puffin on a Coffin Nail
Awjofgawf, Carl Barat. Awjofgawf. This is just a demo, apparently, but it definitely should have made it onto the CD. Incredibly jumpy and catchy and, yeah. It's Carl, ok?

-Pink Martini - Brazil
The best thing about Pink Martini is that they're not confined to one type of music. They like to sing jazz and Japanese-inspired and folk and this - which is sweet and romantic with just a dash of salsa.

-Flogging Molly - Devil's Dance Floor
PENNY WHISTLE. If that doesn't get you to download a song, I have no idea what will, you cold-blooded freak. Maybe it's because I'm Celtic, but this song gets me excited in a huge way - emotionally and physically. It comes on and I'm dancing across the room, bouncing along.

-Billy Gillman - Itty Bitty Pretty One
Shut up, I know he was twelve at the time, but he was still cute. I might have had a crush on him and thought he was the best singer in the world. This song, though, has withstood the test of time! I'm a legal adult and I still adore it! It's a remake, obviously, but his angelic little voice is so absolutely perfect for the tune I can't help myself.

Also, Robin is currently on her way to HAWAII, what the hell. *anxious, fidgety fingers* ETA: Nuuu, I accidentally made plans with my mother for dinner tonight at EIGHT O'CLOCK what was I thinking?!

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