"Reticent Sonnet", Anne Carson

[felinejumper]

Reticent Sonnet

A pronoun is a kind of withdrawal from naming.
Because naming is heavy, naming may be slightly shaming.
We live much more lightly than this,
we address ourselves allusively in our minds –
as “I” or “we” or “one” – part of a system that argues with shadow, like Venetian blinds.
Speaking of Venice, called “the Shakespeare of cities” by a friend of mine,
reminds me of how often the Sonnets misprint their for thine:

beware the fog in Venice.
Beware those footsteps that stop in a hush.
I used to think I would grow up to be a person whose reasoning was deep,
instead I became a kind of brush.
I brush words against words. So do we follow ourselves out of youth,
brushing, brushing, brushing wild grapes onto truth.

ANNE CARSON (2006)

I've had this open for a week and a half and I read it probably 3-4 times a day, and it's just. Anne Carson is really good, you guys.

Comments

[aerialiste]

I only met her once and nearly fainted. Also WOW now I want that edition with the Jenny Holzer. Also "instead I became a kind of brush." Brushing, brushing, brushing.