Regarding the Bard
I like to think Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare.
Genius alights where it will, oblivious of rank
or even education. In fact, you can probably bet,
wherever it lands will be somehow ‘unsuitable’.
He was good at observing human foibles –
and, being of fairly humble condition, most likely
observed them first in himself, or at least
the latent possibilities. After all, haven’t we all
ached with Romeo’s idealised teenage lust,
or Miranda’s naive romantic dreams?
Who has not sometimes plotted revenge,
envied power, longed to live free in a forest?
Or been torn apart by bossy parents and elders
like poor old Hamlet – who really just wanted
to get back to Uni., have a good time, and be
damned to duty. Shakespeare wrote it down.
And he knew he had to make it entertaining,
so he put in bawdy jokes, lots of blood and gore,
and all sorts of farcical mistakes and mishaps.
He had a theatre to run and players to pay.
He knew how to twang on the heartstrings:
how to make ‘em laugh and make ‘em cry
with words, with spectacle, with stories.
For his own heart, look elsewhere.
In the plays he will show you yourself; as well as
your family, friends, enemies, lovers. Also, disguised,
the bosses, rich and powerful, who lord it over you.
(Fools, knaves, or heroes; deal with what you get.)
But look to the sonnets, the personal thoughts,
the inner reflections and questionings,
lone confessionals of desire, love, pain ...
if you seek to meet the true Will Shakespeare.
This is a wonderful tribute to Shakespeare and what he means to the world today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all you say, Rosemary, Shakespeare was
ReplyDelete‘…good at observing human foibles –
and, being of fairly humble condition, most likely
observed them first in himself’
and he did know how to make it entertaining and twang on the heartstrings. But I always come back to the sonnets and have been doing so since I was a teenager, where I really got to know the bard.
This is such a stunning tribute poem, Rosemary 💝😃 I especially love; "After all, haven’t we all
ReplyDeleteached with Romeo’s idealised teenage lust, or Miranda’s naive romantic dreams?" Yes, yes!
Beautiful tribute to the bard...He is timeless and certainly what he spoke of in his lifetime is still happening today
ReplyDeleteEXCELLENT point....look to the play for the extravagant, the entertainment. Even when there are moments of powerful reflection and ardor and philosophizing within the scenes, they are still surrounded by all else of the play. But the sonnets are the thoughts without physical aggrandizement. You've nailed this well.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare was the O.G dramaqueen and i feel like you got under his skin pretty well~
ReplyDeleteExcellent tribute to the Bard. Creative genius certainly.I like his word creations,,,,toss pot being one of my favourites !
ReplyDelete