In between blogging this afternoon, this is what I've been reading. I'm supposed to be writing a chapter on Finch, but I more or less stopped work on it last autumn when teaching preparations became too pressing. Since then, I've had to write a conference paper, a research seminar paper, a chapter for a book and four book reviews, so last summer's research had begun to seem very far away. It's been good to get back to the Big Project again after so many months.
Are there any Anne Finch poems that you might urge on the uninitiated by way of introduction...?
ReplyDelete:-)
We should get our 'writing group' started!
ReplyDeleteFinch's poems tend to be quite long, and don't excerpt all that well. But here's one, especially for Valentine's Day:
ReplyDeleteLove, thou art best of Human Joys,
Our chiefest Happiness below,
All other Pleasures are but Toys;
Musick, without thee, is but Noise,
And Beauty but an empty Show.
Heav'n, who knew best what Man could move,
And raise his Thoughts above the Brute,
Said, Let him be, and let him love,
That must alone his Soul improve,
Howe'er Philosophers dispute.