Sunday, September 18, 2011

Pretty Good Year: Issa's Sunday Service, #119




Today's selection on the Sunday Service is a Tori Amos song, "Pretty Good Year," that was suggested by a reader for which he got two free issues of Lilliput Review. The Amos song lifts a phrase - "the eternal Footman" - from T. S. Eliot's "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the line in question being "And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker".

"Prufrock" also provided a line for this previous Sunday Service song. There are lots more in allusions to Eliot in popular music and, no doubt, they will provide future songs for the Sunday Service. For the moment, how's about we settle in and listen to the poet take a turn himself:





If you'd like your Eliot ready with animation rather than stagnant pictures, here you are:





Perhaps your version would have shoeboxes for hats ... I know mine does. Shoeboxes and mighty plosives and a, um, broader interpretation.






--------------------


This week's featured poem from the archive of Lilliput Review comes from #69, June 1995, by the master poet, Patrick Sweeney. Enjoy.





An 'anybody home?' afternoon silence
Patrick Sweeney








quite a feat--
in utter silence
the plum tree blooms
Issa
translated by David G. Lanoue






best,
Don



Send a single haiku for the Wednesday Haiku feature. Here's how.

Go to the LitRock web site for a list of all 119 songs

6 comments:

Shawnte Orion said...

You've made me want to dig out some of those early Tori Amos albums. Especially love the writing on Little Earthquakes.

As for Prufrock youtube clips- my favorite is this one that matches Eliot's own voice with the music of Portishead. Gorgeous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXsItbsr4o0

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Thanks, Shawnte, for pointing to the Portishead/Eliot mashup. I saw that one, but thought I might be overwhelming people so backed off. Glad you added it.

I agree about Little Earthquakes. Fine work.

Don

Charles Gramlich said...

"the Love song" is one of my favorite poems of all time. It is just amazing.

Anonymous said...

Love love love that poem.

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Charles, the bar is set with Prufrock. Don

Issa's Untidy Hut said...

Thanks, willful ...