Thank you for sharing these and your process. The sonnets are beautifully reflective and a little gut-wrenching, too. I enjoyed each but it’s the synergy of the trio that makes them especially effective.
I tried tying them together with repetition (last two lines, at least mostly repeated) and some echoes in other lines. I do think it made the three hang together pretty well, and it was fun to do -- especially if it was possible to shift meanings a bit with the context of each sonnet.
Interesting Mark. What spoke to me most was just the whole idea of why we (why anyone) think that one tree matters, that one of anything matters? We take an object and infuse it with meaning, spin our stories and our poems, to try to make sense of our lives. I empathize with the impulse.
I agree about our relationships with things, and it is a habit that is quite pervasive. Ever named a car? Why are some regions of the earth infused with meaning? Jerusalem. Mecca. Rome. Beijing. "Oak Tree" turn at VIR. And mountains ... in your own neck of the woods, I bet that the mountains have a special significance not only to climbers, but to people with stories going back thousands of years. That goofy tree has made me wonder for a long, long time. I couldn't find a story, but it surely must have a real one, not just a mythology like mine. But now, at least, it's got a made-up tale.
I have thought about your last email to me, and I'll soon reply.
Thank you for sharing these and your process. The sonnets are beautifully reflective and a little gut-wrenching, too. I enjoyed each but it’s the synergy of the trio that makes them especially effective.
I tried tying them together with repetition (last two lines, at least mostly repeated) and some echoes in other lines. I do think it made the three hang together pretty well, and it was fun to do -- especially if it was possible to shift meanings a bit with the context of each sonnet.
Thanks for the share on Notes, too, Bryn!
Beautiful in design and execution, and a worthwhile subject. Thank you for sharing.
Interesting Mark. What spoke to me most was just the whole idea of why we (why anyone) think that one tree matters, that one of anything matters? We take an object and infuse it with meaning, spin our stories and our poems, to try to make sense of our lives. I empathize with the impulse.
I agree about our relationships with things, and it is a habit that is quite pervasive. Ever named a car? Why are some regions of the earth infused with meaning? Jerusalem. Mecca. Rome. Beijing. "Oak Tree" turn at VIR. And mountains ... in your own neck of the woods, I bet that the mountains have a special significance not only to climbers, but to people with stories going back thousands of years. That goofy tree has made me wonder for a long, long time. I couldn't find a story, but it surely must have a real one, not just a mythology like mine. But now, at least, it's got a made-up tale.
I have thought about your last email to me, and I'll soon reply.