Sunday, February 08, 2004

When writing good poetry, avoid references that will become horribly dated:

I really enjoy Schubert’s song cycle Die Schöne Müllerin, but for me the poetry is diminished by a reference to a dance that went in and out of fashion very quickly in the 1970’s. Here’s the poet, in the fourth song, talking about going to the dance after work:
Nach Arbeit ich frug, Nun hab ich genug Für die Hände, fürs Herze Vollauf genug!
So the poet is saying, “After work I do the Frug?” I believe nobody does the Frug anymore. (Well, that was inexcusable, wasn’t it…)

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