Comments on: Whose Words These Are (7): Vendler’s Stevens http://www.radioopensource.org/whose-words-these-are-7-vendlers-stevens/ Christopher Lydon in conversation on arts, ideas and politics Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:09:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Prof A. Sattar http://www.radioopensource.org/whose-words-these-are-7-vendlers-stevens/#comment-290538 Prof A. Sattar Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:05:52 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=4036#comment-290538 Helen is a prodigy. The undercurrent of her chemistry background accounts for the alchemy of the free flowing continuity on the autobahn, and the more illuminating detours through the glades and chaparrals of her love of life and letters. I have heard her presentations on Emily, Yeats and Stevens more than once. And I will continue to re-listen till the dinosaurs come home. I have 40 years of Eng Lit under the belt. That should call for a celebration, Helen. Nothing short of a magnum of the supernaculum, preferably distilled by the Muses. More of Helen Vendler please. Helen is a prodigy. The undercurrent of her chemistry background accounts for the alchemy of the free flowing continuity on the autobahn, and the more illuminating detours through the glades and chaparrals of her love of life and letters.

I have heard her presentations on Emily, Yeats and Stevens more than once. And I will continue to re-listen till the dinosaurs come home. I have 40 years of Eng Lit under the belt. That should call for a celebration, Helen. Nothing short of a magnum of the supernaculum, preferably distilled by the Muses.

More of Helen Vendler please.

]]> By: chris http://www.radioopensource.org/whose-words-these-are-7-vendlers-stevens/#comment-93286 chris Tue, 18 May 2010 23:15:06 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=4036#comment-93286 Dear Grace: Hooray! You found it. You'll want now to listen to the great Vendler on W. B. Yeats, too. http://www.radioopensource.org/helen-vendler-reading-and-riffing-on-w-b-yeats/ Thank you for writing, Chris Lydon Dear Grace:

Hooray! You found it.

You’ll want now to listen to the great Vendler on W. B. Yeats, too.

http://www.radioopensource.org/helen-vendler-reading-and-riffing-on-w-b-yeats/

Thank you for writing,

Chris Lydon

]]> By: Grace Bress http://www.radioopensource.org/whose-words-these-are-7-vendlers-stevens/#comment-93285 Grace Bress Tue, 18 May 2010 20:48:38 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=4036#comment-93285 What a lovely time, to listen to Helen ( a friend from over fifty years ago) reading and talking about a poet she cherishes: her gentle, soft voice, her perfect choice of words, her astute and sensitive explications of Wallace Stevens' poetry. I must confess that I have never responded to Stevens' work and have never wanted to work harder to learn more in order to do so (in spite of Helen's fine book about his poetry). To me the aural beauty is just not there--too many Latinate words, too much (deliberate?) obscurity, very little charm of rhythm, etc. With Yeats I always responded to the sheer beauty of sound of his lines and language: I always wanted to find out the greater meaning that his beauty had lured me with. In this excellent radio interview I thoroughly enjoyed Helen's wonderful, richly wise interpretations of Steven's phrases and ideas ( with the bonus illuminations about Keats, Hardy, Arnold, Eliot, Pound, etc. from Helen's treasure house of knowledge about other poets) . I enjoyed and was moved by Helen's thoughtful words more than by Stevens' ! Her explanations were to me much richer, more evocative than his poems themselves! (The self-effacing interviewer was a master of unobtrusive but insightful questioning.) What a beautiful hour. I listened with my eyes closed. Now I will make sure that a few other friends hear this program too. I have never heard anything quite like it: memorable and to be treasured. What a lovely time, to listen to Helen ( a friend from over fifty years ago) reading and talking about a poet she cherishes: her gentle, soft voice, her perfect choice of words, her astute and sensitive explications of Wallace Stevens’ poetry. I must confess that I have never responded to Stevens’ work and have never wanted to work harder to learn more in order to do so (in spite of Helen’s fine book about his poetry). To me the aural beauty is just not there–too many Latinate words, too much (deliberate?) obscurity, very little charm of rhythm, etc. With Yeats I always responded to the sheer beauty of sound of his lines and language: I always wanted to find out the greater meaning that his beauty had lured me with. In this excellent radio interview I thoroughly enjoyed Helen’s wonderful, richly wise interpretations of Steven’s phrases and ideas ( with the bonus illuminations about Keats, Hardy, Arnold, Eliot, Pound, etc. from Helen’s treasure house of knowledge about other poets) . I enjoyed and was moved by Helen’s thoughtful words more than by Stevens’ ! Her explanations were to me much richer, more evocative than his poems themselves! (The self-effacing interviewer was a master of unobtrusive but insightful questioning.) What a beautiful hour. I listened with my eyes closed. Now I will make sure that a few other friends hear this program too. I have never heard anything quite like it: memorable and to be treasured.

]]> By: Paul http://www.radioopensource.org/whose-words-these-are-7-vendlers-stevens/#comment-93284 Paul Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:20:46 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=4036#comment-93284 Chris, this is as good as it gets. I listened to this show on my iPod as I walked along the coast of Rockport on a gorgeous October day. I got more spiritual nourishment from Vendler's breakdown of Sunday Morning than I'd had in months at church. It's all there: life, death, love, nature, mortality, eternity. I wish we could make a documentary film with Professor Vendler discussing four poems that changed her life––one for each season. Get some famous actor types to read the poems just like they read letters in the film Trumbo. Vendler's getting older now. We should preserve as much of her knowledge, wisdom and love of poetry as possible for future generations. Great teachers should be venerated in the same way we venerate great artists. in closing, let me just say this: MORE VENDLER PLEASE! Chris, this is as good as it gets. I listened to this show on my iPod as I walked along the coast of Rockport on a gorgeous October day. I got more spiritual nourishment from Vendler’s breakdown of Sunday Morning than I’d had in months at church. It’s all there: life, death, love, nature, mortality, eternity.

I wish we could make a documentary film with Professor Vendler discussing four poems that changed her life––one for each season. Get some famous actor types to read the poems just like they read letters in the film Trumbo. Vendler’s getting older now. We should preserve as much of her knowledge, wisdom and love of poetry as possible for future generations. Great teachers should be venerated in the same way we venerate great artists.

in closing, let me just say this: MORE VENDLER PLEASE!

]]> By: Potter http://www.radioopensource.org/whose-words-these-are-7-vendlers-stevens/#comment-93283 Potter Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:50:22 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=4036#comment-93283 I love the loving way Helen Vendler goes through a Stevens poem, line by line, making sense of it- making it easy, and then says that that is not even necessary to enjoy his poems. I know what she means. It's a sensual thing- one absorbs it through the skin or a 6th sense. But there is no mistaking the love with which she holds these poems, the value she places on them as works of art, the beauty of them... which is infectious. Helen Vendler reminds me. Long ago, my (now old) art history professor Leo Steinberg spoke with a twinkle in his eyes of the joys of looking at and unraveling the meanings in paintings. Somehow I think of Edward Hopper in connection with Stevens. Now also I will think of Klee and look for the whimsey. Chris, thank you so much . Wallace Stevens comes off the shelf! I love the loving way Helen Vendler goes through a Stevens poem, line by line, making sense of it- making it easy, and then says that that is not even necessary to enjoy his poems. I know what she means. It’s a sensual thing- one absorbs it through the skin or a 6th sense. But there is no mistaking the love with which she holds these poems, the value she places on them as works of art, the beauty of them… which is infectious.

Helen Vendler reminds me. Long ago, my (now old) art history professor Leo Steinberg spoke with a twinkle in his eyes of the joys of looking at and unraveling the meanings in paintings.

Somehow I think of Edward Hopper in connection with Stevens. Now also I will think of Klee and look for the whimsey.

Chris, thank you so much . Wallace Stevens comes off the shelf!

]]> By: Potter http://www.radioopensource.org/whose-words-these-are-7-vendlers-stevens/#comment-93282 Potter Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:04:39 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=4036#comment-93282 Wow- how did I miss this? Back atcha after a listen. Wow- how did I miss this? Back atcha after a listen.

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