There are so many wonderful poems here that it seems as if these old, mysterious legends have really set the poet's imagination alight. So it's not too surprising then that he finds himself asking: "Was I perhaps touched by Merlin's wand?" On the evidence of a myriad of sublime, enthralling poems such as: At Tintagel, Isolde's Song, Midsummer's Eve, and The Song of Amergin, the answer can only be "Yes."
I really do give Merlin credit for reviving my career. I had given up on submitting poems, after so many good ones had been rejected. But I thought some of the Arthurian poems were good and decided to try again. I had some success and kind of zoomed off from there.
I have to admit that I too find writing poetry to be a magical act at times - that poems appear, and seem to come through us, as if we are merely a conduit for something that is much bigger than ourselves. Perhaps it has something to do with myths and symbols and what is stored in man's collective consciousness?
It could be some sort of collective consciousness, or perhaps some of us are just more tuned into words the way other people are tuned into numbers, music, etc. But I like the idea of Muses, personally.
Yes, I do too. I think the Muses exist for those who truly believe in them. By the way, in regard to your poem, 'At Tintagel', the renowned Irish film director, John Boorman, made a film called Excalibur back in 1981, in which he chronicled all of the event you mention in it. It's a film worth checking out, if you haven't seen it already because Shakespearian actor, Nicol Williamson, gives a powerful performance as a rather frightening Merlin, whose time of old gods and magic is on the cusp of being taken away from him. If I remember correctly, he says: "And now the one God comes to replace the many - the spirits of the earth and tress and rivers." He says it in such a way that you just know it's a big mistake.
I have watched "Excalibur" several times over the years and it's one of my favorite movies. I touch on the disappearance of the old gods and the fairies in some of my poems, and of Merlin's power in "The Last Enchantment." There is quite a difference in power between "At Tintagel" and "The Last Enchantment."
There are so many wonderful poems here that it seems as if these old, mysterious legends have really set the poet's imagination alight. So it's not too surprising then that he finds himself asking: "Was I perhaps touched by Merlin's wand?" On the evidence of a myriad of sublime, enthralling poems such as: At Tintagel, Isolde's Song, Midsummer's Eve, and The Song of Amergin, the answer can only be "Yes."
I really do give Merlin credit for reviving my career. I had given up on submitting poems, after so many good ones had been rejected. But I thought some of the Arthurian poems were good and decided to try again. I had some success and kind of zoomed off from there.
I have to admit that I too find writing poetry to be a magical act at times - that poems appear, and seem to come through us, as if we are merely a conduit for something that is much bigger than ourselves. Perhaps it has something to do with myths and symbols and what is stored in man's collective consciousness?
It could be some sort of collective consciousness, or perhaps some of us are just more tuned into words the way other people are tuned into numbers, music, etc. But I like the idea of Muses, personally.
Yes, I do too. I think the Muses exist for those who truly believe in them. By the way, in regard to your poem, 'At Tintagel', the renowned Irish film director, John Boorman, made a film called Excalibur back in 1981, in which he chronicled all of the event you mention in it. It's a film worth checking out, if you haven't seen it already because Shakespearian actor, Nicol Williamson, gives a powerful performance as a rather frightening Merlin, whose time of old gods and magic is on the cusp of being taken away from him. If I remember correctly, he says: "And now the one God comes to replace the many - the spirits of the earth and tress and rivers." He says it in such a way that you just know it's a big mistake.
I have watched "Excalibur" several times over the years and it's one of my favorite movies. I touch on the disappearance of the old gods and the fairies in some of my poems, and of Merlin's power in "The Last Enchantment." There is quite a difference in power between "At Tintagel" and "The Last Enchantment."
Ah, these poems are definitely for me! I'll print out both and I'll read them together.