Friday, January 30, 2009

Poetry Friday


A poem for the wordsmiths out there:

The Death of Allegory
by Billy Collins

I am wondering what became of all those tall abstractions
that used to pose, robed and statuesque, in paintings
and parade about on the pages of the Renaissance
displaying their capital letters like license plates.

Read the rest of this visual poem here.

I find this line particularly memorable:
The Valley of Forgiveness is lined with condominiums


The Roundup is hosted at Adventures in Daily Living.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, Wow. This poem is so visual, and so poignant. I could just see those paintings... Alas, I'm one of those lovers of Things in Capital Letters of Ages Past.

Nandini said...

They're in India, Yat-Yee, making a last stand ... don't you know? ;-)

susan said...

Enjoyed this. I believed I've this one read. Collins is gifted and very funny.

Anonymous said...

Yes indeed, a very visual poem. That Billy is some poet, eh?

Thanks for sharing this.

Andromeda Jazmon said...

My favorite lines:

"Justice is there standing by an open refrigerator.

Valor lies in bed listening to the rain. "

Anonymous said...

I know so much of his work, yet I am certain I've not read this one before.

consigned to a Florida for tropes: Wow. Brilliant.

and I really liked these lines as well:
there are no places left
for them to go, no Garden of Mirth or Bower of Bliss.
The Valley of Forgiveness is lined with condominiums
and chain saws are howling in the Forest of Despair.

Kelly Polark said...

I'm with Cloudscome
"Valor lies in bed listening to the rain."
Cool.

Mary Lee said...

"the great ideas on horseback
and the long-haired virtues in embroidered gowns,"

I don't think they're gone, I just think we don't carve them out of marble anymore. But maybe we should...

Author Amok said...

"They are all retired now, consigned to a Florida for tropes. "

Not the most beautiful line, but this is where I see the leap of the poem. He's a master at that. Amazing.