WINDSDAY WONDERS
Compiled & Edited by Rob Chappell
(@RHCLambengolmo)
Editorial Associate: S. A. Sonnenschein
Vol. 3, No. 23: April 3, 2024
Celebrating National Poetry Month
Episode #1: The Divine Call of the Poet
Editor’s Note
April is National
Poetry Month, and this week, we’re kicking it off in grand style with some
poems and articles to help you enjoy this annual celebration of verses arranged
in rhythm and rhyme!
“The Month of April”
By Robertus Capellanus, Contributing Writer
In the golden sun of April,
Nature blossoms and abounds,
Bright flowers, tall trees, and blooming plants,
Vibrant shades of color abound,
Blue skies and warm air caress the skin,
Filling the spirit with cheer,
The breeze wafts and the birds sing,
Bringing hope into the year.
Nature shows off its beauty and grace,
Filling the air and the soul with peace,
The earth becomes a wondrous place,
With its beauty and tranquility,
Full of life and joy, a sight to behold,
Springtime is indeed a treat,
April is a season to savor,
A month of rejuvenation and rebirth.
“An Introduction to National Poetry Month”
By Robyn Hope Cassidy, Contributing Writer
National Poetry Month
is a celebration of poetry and poetry writing that takes place each year in
April in the United States and around the world. The event was first
popularized in 1999 when the Academy of American Poets and others collaborated
to declare April as a month-long celebration of poetry writing.
Since its
inception in 1999, National Poetry Month has grown into a month-long
celebration of poetry in the United States and beyond. Events during the month
include poetry workshops, readings, open mics, performances, poetry slams, and
poetry marathons, among other activities.
National Poetry
Month is now celebrated in thousands of communities around the world, from
schools and libraries to bookstores and cafes. It provides an opportunity for
poets and poetry enthusiasts to gather together and share their stories through
rhyme and prose. Poets also use the month to challenge themselves and
experiment with different poetic forms, encouraging both seasoned writers and
newcomers to explore their creativity.
National Poetry
Month not only celebrates the written word but also highlights the power of
language to convey ideas, provoke thought, and bring people together. By
encouraging poetry writing and appreciation, the celebration highlights the
importance of literacy and reminds us of the role of language and communication
in creating a healthier and more interconnected world.
The exact
activities and events held for National Poetry Month vary from community to
community and year to year, depending on the resources and priorities of the
local organizers. Some focus on poetry writing workshops and classes, while
others may dedicate the month to poetry readings, performances, and open mics.
Some communities focus on supporting underrepresented poets, such as by
offering scholarships, mentoring opportunities, and access to publishing
resources.
Other efforts
during National Poetry Month highlight the importance of teaching poetry in
schools to foster literacy and creative expression. Poets are often brought in
to work with students, often through workshops and classes that encourage them
to not only read poetry but also explore and experiment with writing their own
poems.
During National
Poetry Month, some communities partner with businesses to highlight the
connection between poetry and everyday life. Local organizations may partner
with breweries, cafes, or restaurants to hold poetry nights or even launch
poetry-themed drinks or specials. These events encourage the public to
recognize the role of poetry in their everyday lives and how it can add beauty
and joy to everyday experiences.
National Poetry
Month is a month-long celebration of poetry and poetry writing that takes place
each year in the United States and around the world. The event showcases the
wide reach of poetry and the many ways in which it can be used to express
ideas, explore emotions, and build connections between people and communities.
“The Call of the Poet”
By Bobbi Lambengolmo, Contributing Writer
(With Translations of Original Texts Updated by the
Editor)
The poetic calling
of Hesiod and Ezra, as discussed in the Theogony and 2
Esdras, respectively, provides illuminating insight into the divine
origin of poetry and the true nature of poets. Both Hesiod and Ezra are called
to a deeper purpose and inspired by the grace of the Divine. While the details
of the calling may vary, both poets share a common thread of the awen,
the divine breath that originates from One ultimate Source.
While the details
of their poetry may differ and their respective backgrounds and contexts are
unique, both Hesiod and Ezra share a profound and unifying connection to the
divine inspiration they receive. Both poets are presented as representatives of
humanity and as conduits for the Divine. In their poetry, Hesiod and Ezra
create richly detailed and moving representations of the human experience
through a lens of the Divine.
Hesiod's poetic
calling is presented as a spiritual awakening and transformation. He is called
to become a poet by the divine Muses, who appear to him as divine messengers.
His transformation is an ascension from the ordinary world into a higher
existence as a representative of the Divine. At the core of Hesiod's poetry is
the realization of divine truth and enlightenment.
Ezra's story is
equally filled with divine inspiration and calling. He is presented as a
visionary who is guided by a divine breath and inspired after communing from
the sacred chalice. His transformation is one of humility and a surrender to
the divine will. At the core of Ezra's poetry is the reverence for divine
creation and the awe-inspiring wonder of the Divine.
Editor’s Note:
An example of Ezra’s poetry can be found in 2 Esdras 8:19b-36
(the “Confessio Esdrae”), which found its way into medieval Latin Christian
liturgies. It should also be noted that the Archangel Uriel, who appears to
Ezra several times throughout the narrative of 2 Esdras, is
traditionally regarded as the patron angel of poetry and song.
Hesiod: Theogony
1-34
Translation by H. G.
Evelyn-White (1914), Slightly Updated by the Editor
From the
Heliconian Muses let us begin to sing, who hold the great and holy mount of
Helicon, and dance on soft feet about the deep-blue spring and the altar of the
almighty son of Cronos, and, when they have washed their tender bodies in
Permessus or in the Horse’s Spring or Olmeius, make their fair, lovely dances
upon highest Helicon and move with vigorous feet. Thence they arise and go
abroad by night, veiled in thick mist, and utter their song with lovely voice,
praising Zeus the aegis-holder and queenly Hera of Argos who walks on golden
sandals and the daughter of Zeus the aegis-holder bright-eyed Athene, and
Phoebus Apollo, and Artemis who delights in arrows, and Poseidon the
earth-holder who shakes the earth, and reverend Themis and quick-glancing Aphrodite,
and Hebe with the crown of gold, and fair Dione, Leto, Japetus, and Cronos the
crafty counsellor, Eos and great Helios and bright Selene, Earth too, and great
Oceanus, and dark Night, and the holy race of all the other deathless ones that
are forever. And one day they taught Hesiod glorious song while he was
shepherding his lambs under holy Helicon, and this word first the goddesses
said to me — the Muses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus who holds the aegis:
“Shepherds of the
wilderness, wretched things of shame, mere bellies, we know how to speak many
false things as though they were true; but we know, when we will, to utter true
things.”
So said the
ready-voiced daughters of great Zeus, and they plucked and gave me a rod, a
shoot of sturdy laurel, a marvelous thing, and breathed into me a divine voice
to celebrate things that shall be and things there were aforetime; and they
bade me sing of the race of the blessed gods that are eternally, but ever to
sing of themselves both first and last.
2 Esdras 14:1-9, 19-26, 37-50 (King
James Version, Updated by the Editor)
[14:1-9] And it
came to pass upon the third day, I sat under an oak, and, behold, there came a
voice out of a bush over against me, and said, “Ezra, Ezra.” And I said, “Here
am I, Lord.” And I stood up upon my feet. Then said he unto me, “In the bush I
did manifestly reveal myself unto Moses, and talked with him, when my people were
enslaved in Egypt; and I sent him and led my people out of Egypt, and brought
him up to the mount of where I held him by me a long season, and told him many
wondrous things, and showed him the secrets of the times, and the end; and
commanded him, saying, ‘These words shall you declare, and these shall you
hide.’ And now I say unto you, that you lay up in your heart the signs that I
have showed, and the dreams that you have seen, and the interpretations which you
have heard; for you shall be taken away from all, and from henceforth you shall
remain with my Son, and with such as are like you, until the times are ended.”
[14:19-26] Then
answered I before you, and said, “Behold, Lord, I will go, as you have
commanded me, and reprove the people who are present: but they who shall be
born afterward, who shall admonish them? Thus the world is set in darkness, and
they who dwell therein are without light. For your Law has been burned,
therefore no one knows the things that are done by you, or the work that shall
begin. But if I have found grace before you, send the Holy Spirit into me, and
I shall write all that has been done in the world since the beginning, which was
written in your Law, that humas may find your path, and that they who will live
in the latter days may live.” And he answered me, saying, “Go your way, gather
the people together, and say unto them, that they should seek you not for forty
days. But look prepare for yourself many box trees, and take with you Sareah,
Dabriah, Shelemiah, Ethan, and Asiel, these five who are ready to write
swiftly; and come hither, and I shall light a candle of understanding in your
heart, which shall not be put out, till the things are performed which you shall
begin to write. And when you have finished, some things shall you publish, and
some things shall you show secretly to the wise: tomorrow at this hour shall you
begin to write.”
[14:37-50] So I
took the five men, as he commanded me, and we went into the field, and remained
there. And the next day, behold, a voice called me, saying, “Ezra, open your
mouth, and drink what I give you to drink.” Then opened I my mouth, and,
behold, he reached me a full cup, which was full as it were with water, but the
color of it was like fire. And I took it, and drank: and when I had drunk of
it, my heart uttered understanding, and wisdom grew in my breast, for my spirit
strengthened my memory: and my mouth was opened, and shut no more. The Most High
gave understanding unto the five men, and they wrote the wonderful visions of
the night that were told, which they knew not: and they sat forty days, and
they wrote in the day, and at night they ate bread. As for me. I spoke in the
day, and I held not my tongue by night. In forty days they wrote ninety-four
books. And it came to pass, when the forty days were fulfilled, that the Most
High spoke, saying, “The first [twenty-four books] that you have written
publish openly, that the worthy and unworthy may read it: but keep the seventy
last, that you may deliver them only to such as are wise among the people; for
in them is the spring of understanding, the fountain of wisdom, and the stream
of knowledge.” And I did so. And
thereupon was Ezra caught
away and taken to
the place of
such as were like him, after he
had written all
these things. But he was
called the “Scribe of
the Knowledge of the Most
High forever and ever.”
Ten ancient Greek Muses are dancing in a circle. But
wait a minute! There are only nine Muses in Greek tradition, right? So who is
the tenth Muse? Read on to find out! (Image Credit: Digital artwork created by
the Editor.)
“Some Musings about the Muses”
By Allison Stockett, Contributing Writer
Greeks of all ages
have had a fascination with the Muses, the nine deities who inspire and
patronize various arts and sciences. The Muses hail from the earliest days of
Greek mythology, and they continue to be celebrated by students and scholars of
the classical world today.
Even the number of
Muses varies according to the source. In Hesiod's Theogony, for
example, there are three Muses, while Ovid's Metamorphoses names
nine Muses. Ultimately, nine became the accepted number of Muses in the
classical world and remained so throughout the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
Each of the Muses
is said to represent a particular art or discipline. For example, Calliope
inspires epic poetry, and Mnemosyne is the muse of memory. Other Muses include
Euterpe, patroness of lyric poetry; Melpomene, muse of tragedies; and Clío,
muse of history. Together, all nine Muses inspire and patronize numerous fields
of learning and the arts.
The concept of the
Muses has had a profound impact on Western civilization. From the first studies
of the classical world to the present, the Muses have been regarded as the
personification of inspiration and artistic patronage. In fact, for many
artists and thinkers throughout the ages, they have been a fount of creative
ideas. This timeless fascination with the Muses continues today.
Of course, the
exact roles of the Muses vary slightly depending on the source and the
interpretation. For example, some believe that the Muses only inspire or prompt
the creation of arts and sciences, whereas others say their powers also extend
to the actual creation of these things. In any case, the Muses are always
regarded as deities that bestow divine inspiration to mortals.
Interestingly, the
Muses are often depicted as being very beautiful. That said, their precise
physical appearance varies across different sources and has evolved over time.
In classical Greece, for example, the Muses are often depicted as young women
who exude beauty and grace.
One of the most
well-known physical representations of the Muses is "The Nine Muses"
sculpture by the Roman artist Pasiteles. It depicts the Muses as graceful and
elegant young women. Each of them holds an instrument befitting their role as
patroness of a particular art. For example, Euterpe holds a lyre, Clio holds a
book, and Melpomene holds a tragedy mask.
The Muses have
been depicted in numerous other works of art throughout the ages, including
paintings by Renaissance masters such as Titian, Botticelli, and Caravaggio.
Over time, their physical appearance has continued to vary. In Renaissance
Italy, for example, the Muses are often depicted as mature, matronly women. In
later centuries, their appearance varies again, with some artists depicting
them as ethereal spirits and others as beautiful youths.
Ultimately, the
Muses represent divine inspiration to mortals, regardless of their physical appearance.
Whether portrayed as beautiful young women, mature matrons, or ethereal
spirits, they are the patrons of the arts and sciences and the fount of
creativity in the classical world. Their timeless impact continues to be
celebrated by students and scholars of antiquity today.
Orphic Hymn #75: “To the Muses”
Translated by Thomas Taylor (1758-1835)
Daughters of Jove, dire-sounding and divine,
Renowned Pierian, sweetly speaking Nine;
To those whose breasts your sacred furies fire
Much-formed, the objects of supreme desire:
Sources of blameless virtue to mankind,
Who form to excellence the youthful mind;
Who nurse the soul, and give her to descry
The paths of right with Reason's steady eye.
Commanding queens who lead to sacred light
The intellect refined from Error's night;
And to mankind each holy rite disclose,
For mystic knowledge from your nature flows.
Clio, and Erato, who charms the sight,
With thee Euterpe ministering delight:
Thalia flourishing, Polyhymnia famed,
Melpomene from skill in music named:
Terpischore, Urania heavenly bright,
With thee who gavest me to behold the light.
Come, venerable, various, powers divine,
With favoring aspect on your mystics shine;
Bring glorious, ardent, lovely, famed desire,
And warm my bosom with your sacred fire.
Sappho of Lesbos: The Tenth Muse!
(ca. 630-570 BCE)
“Some say the Muses are nine, but how carelessly!
Look at the tenth, Sappho from Lesbos.”
à Plato in the Palatine Anthology (9.506)
Sappho of Lesbos, the “Tenth Muse” and master of Greek
lyric poetry, stands on a balcony overlooking the Aegean Sea. Notice the
rainbow in the sky overhead. 😊 (Image Credit: Digital
artwork created by the Editor.)
“Epilogue” from Sappho: One Hundred Lyrics
By Bliss Carman (1861-1929)
Now the hundred songs are made,
And the pause comes. Loving Heart,
There must be an end to summer,
And the flute be laid aside.
On a day the frost will come,
Walking through the autumn world,
Hushing all the brave endeavor
Of the crickets in the grass.
On a day (Oh, far from now!)
Earth will hear this voice no more;
For it shall be with thy lover
As with Linus long ago.
All the happy songs he wrought
From remembrance soon must fade,
As the wash of silver moonlight
From a purple-dark ravine.
Frail as dew upon the grass
Or the spindrift of the sea,
Out of nothing they were fashioned
And to nothing must return.
Nay, but something of thy love,
Passion, tenderness, and joy,
Some strange magic of thy beauty,
Some sweet pathos of thy tears,
Must imperishably cling
To the cadence of the words,
Like a spell of lost enchantments
Laid upon the hearts of men.
Wild and fleeting as the notes
Blown upon a woodland pipe,
They must haunt the earth with gladness
And a tinge of old regret.
For the transport in their rhythm
Was the throb of thy desire,
And thy lyric moods shall quicken
Souls of lovers yet unborn.
When the golden days arrive,
With the swallow at the eaves,
And the first sob of the south-wind
Sighing at the latch with spring,
Long hereafter shall thy name
Be recalled through foreign lands,
And thou be a part of sorrow
When the Linus songs are sung.
Weekly Words of Wisdom
Contributed by Skyla Sonnenschein, Editorial Associate
"Poetry
is not something to be admired; it is a vehicle of the soul, an instrument of
living" ~ Mary S. Colum
Stoic Proverb of the Week
From an Anonymous Contributor
"You
can't be responsible for other people's actions. Their reactions have nothing
to do with you or what you do. Your only job is to be yourself, the way nature
made you to be, without pretense, without apology."
à Marcus
Aurelius: Meditations 5.11
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