{Poetry (Extracts) [continued (4)]}[13th June 1990]

[Redbook7:143][19900613:0840d]{Poetry (Extracts) [continued (4)]}[13th June 1990]

19900613.0840

[continued]

‘“Man”, said A.R Entwhistle, “must not be satisfied with observation, analysis and inference – he must become* for the time being what he wants to understand. Goethe put the poet’s situation very pithily when he said: “My work is that of a composite being, which happens to be signed.”’**

*[Through the sustained sub-creation of long fiction, in the present writer’s case.]

**Ibid, 30-31

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{Poetry (Extracts) [continued (3)]}[13th June 1990]

[Redbook7:142-143][19900613:0840c]{Poetry (Extracts) [continued (3)]}[13th June 1990]

19900613.0840

[continued]

‘I have already suggested that one way in which the poem mimics experience is by its using irrational associations, and appealing to deep-seated areas of sensitivity in the reader’s subconscious mind, so that the words do not merely carry single meanings, but have as rich an accompaniment of associations and implications as possible. The poem recognises and presents the complexity of perception. This complexity of perception is mainly put over by causing meanings and notions to occur simultaneously.’*

*Ibid, 26-27

[Exactly so; & for the present writer, for long fiction also.]

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{Poetry (Extracts) [continued]}[13th June 1990]

[Redbook7:142][19900613:0840b]{Poetry (Extracts) [continued]}[13th June 1990]

19900613.0840

[continued]

‘At its making, a poem is, as Richard Wilbur has said, “a conflict with disorder, not a message from one person to another.’*

*Ibid, 26

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{Poetry (Extracts)}[13th June 1990]

[Redbook7:142][19900613:0840]{Poetry (Extracts)}[13th June 1990]

19900613.0840

‘A man, said someone once, does not write poems about what he knows, but about what he doesn’t know. Sometimes he has a vague idea, and sometimes a reasonably precise one, of the mystery he must solve. Occasionally, as we have seen, he doesn’t know what he is tackling until the job is almost or completely over. The poet’s effort is, however, always that of exploration. C. Day Lewis in [‘]The Poet’s Task[’] commented: “We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand.* But the more successfully a poem has interpreted to its writer the meaning of his own experience, or of others’ experience which imagination has enabled him to make his own, the more surely will it in the long run be understood.”’**

*[This is exactly why the present writer writes (long) fictions.]

**Skelton, T[each] Y[ourself] B[ooks] ‘Poetry’, 25-26

[continues]

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{ἀνακυκλεω}[12th June 1990]

[Redbook7:141][19900612:2145]{ἀνακυκλεω}[12th June 1990]

19900612.2145

The Greek word for ‘I go through evolution(s)’ is ἀνακυκλεω, from ἀνα = ‘up’, (ancient) ‘back again’, ‘along’, ‘over’; and κυκλος = ‘circle’, ‘wheel’, ‘cycle’, ‘period’(modern)(?).

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{Poetry as Transformation}[4th June 1990]

[Redbook7:141][19900604:0010]{Poetry as Transformation}[4th June 1990]

3

19900604.0010

‘Poetry is, for the modern reader, a vehicle of transformation. It alters the view of the World, and alters it not merely in terms of intelligence but also in terms of emotions. The poet, at the time of writing his poem, often feels himself possessed by a completely new vision of the way life works.’*

‘“Poetry is nothing less than the most perfect speech of man [sic], that in which he comes nearest to being able to utter the truth.”’**

‘... if we are to tell the truth about human experience, we must include in our statement something about human emotions and instincts.’***

*T[each] Y[ourself] B[ooks] ‘Poetry’, Robin Skelton, p3

**Matthew Arnold, quoted in ibid, p5

***Ibid, p5

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{... and Theosophical Lives}[2nd June 1990]

[Redbook7:140][19900602:2345]{... and Theosophical Lives}[2nd June 1990]

.2345

9 Lives:

(cf eg Nethercot: ‘The 1^st 5 lives of Annie Besant’ (1960),

& ‘The last 4 lives of Annie Besant’ (1963))

(per E[ncyclopedia] B[ritannica] II, ‘Besant, Annie’)

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{Rosicrucian Geometry...}[2nd June 1990]

[Redbook7:140][19900602:2334]{Rosicrucian Geometry...}[2nd June 1990]

19900602.2334

‘Martinz* was an admirer of Roberto Arias’** uncle, the charismatic and eccentric Arnulfo Arias, who was three times elected to the Panamanian presidency and three times deposed, with American approval.

‘He recalls that Arnulfo – a Rosicrucian who followed the stars and spoke of a philosophy of concentric circles – had a certain affinity with Noriega,*** who would at times give incomprehensible speeches about interlocking triangles.

– The Independent on Sunday,

The Sunday Review,

‘The Fate of Fonteyn’,

by Maureen Orth, p4.

*(a friend of Margot Fonteyn)

**(Fonteyn’s late husband)

***(recently deposed Panamanian dictator)

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{Dreaming of the Old Lady’s House}[20th May 1990]

[Redbook7:139][19900520:1524]{Dreaming of the Old Lady’s House}[20th May 1990]

19900520.1524

Interesting, that at a time of extreme personal secularity, so much so that I had to decline to do the intercessionary prayers* in Church this morning (this secularity arising perhaps out of a build-up of material and bureaucratic concerns, such as our application for planning permission,** work on the house,** and the selection procedures of the Church)*** – I am dreaming again, and powerfully, of future possibilities.****

I suspect that the house I keep dreaming of,# and/or the old lady who has several times been associated with it,#* may be connected not so much with our possible move, as with the Church.#**

*[cf [Redbook7:20][19900121: 0920]{Intercession}[21st January 1990]]

**[eg [Redbook7:86][19900314:1356]{Healing Prayer [continued (3)]}[14th March 1990] fn=*; [Redbook7:114][19900403:1001]{Dream: Searching Dream Memories}[3rd April 1990] &fn=*;

[Redbook7:128][19900425:1902]{Two Dreams: of Dealing with a roof....}[25th April 1990];

[Redbook7:138][19900519:1830b]{Literary Prostitution}[19th May 1990];]

***[eg [Redbook7:44-53][19900214:1100d]{Form MC/PS/90/1: Be My Valentine}[14th February 1990];

[Redbook7:80-81][19900307:2322]{Soliciting the Future}[7th March 1990];

[Redbook7:104-114][19900328:1738]{Tested Again}[28th March 1990], & esp

[Redbook7:112-113][19900329:2357]{Tested Again [continued (12)]}[29th March 1990]]

****[eg [Redbook7:90-91][19900317:2244]{Dream: Of Several Buildings}[17th March 1990];

[Redbook7:114-115][19900403:1001b]{Dream: A Shop with [xS]}[3rd April 1990];

[Redbook7:122-123][19900416:2351]{Dream: Of Boarding the Wrong Train}[16th April 1990]]

#[eg [Redbook7:102-104][19900325:1023]{Dream: Of Two Journeys to the Church}[25th March 1990];

[Redbook7:128][19900425:1902]{Two Dreams: of Dealing with a roof....}[25th April 1990];

[Redbook7:132-133][19900504:1421]{Dream: Of a Military Exercise}[4th May 1990];

[Redbook7:137][19900519:1830]{Dream: Of an Urban House}[19th May 1990]]

#*{(cf VI: [[Redbook6:321][19891016:0905]{A Dream: Upper and Lower Rooms}[16th October 1989]&f,] 321?,

[[Redbook6:226][19890907:2233]{Dream: The Destruction of [No.nn Chelsea] Square}[7th September 1989],] 226?)

ref [[Redbook7:90-91][19900317:2244]{Dream: Of Several Buildings}[17th March 1990]&f,] 90,

[[Redbook7:132-133][19900504:1421]{Dream: Of a Military Exercise}[4th May 1990],] 132}

#**[Or possibly not; see eg [Redbook7:90-91][19900317:2244]{Dream: Of Several Buildings}[17th March 1990], & esp fn=#. The house the writer & his family eventually acquired, [A], was apparently originally built by an elderly lady for use as a home for the minister of the local Calvinistic Methodist chapel.]

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{Meeting the Archbishop again}[19th May 1990]

[Redbook7:139][19900519:1830c]{Meeting the Archbishop again}[19th May 1990]

.1830

[continued]

My meeting with the Archbishop,* that wonderful, practical and saintly man (who casually dropped a ‘bugger[!]’ into the conversation,** presumably to put me at my ease, if not to test me), started with my suggesting that I could serve as well in the capacity of involved layman, or perhaps lay reader (after my feelings of conflict with the clergy and the selection procedures); and, predictably I suppose, ended with my feeling that I should continue with the selection procedures.*** But I suppose that these dreams are apposite.****

*[On 3rd May 1990 – see:]

{ref [[Redbook7:132][19900503:1015]{Testing Vocations}[3rd May 1990],] 132}

**{ref [[Redbook7:31][19900201:2140]{Dream: Trying to get into the Church}[1st February 1990],] 31}

***which is what he expressly suggested that I should do. <900715>

He also agreed happily to my writing to ask about vocations. <901221>

[See [Redbook7:132][19900504:1421]{Testing Vocations}[3rd May 1990]]

****[eg presumably last previous entry but one, [Redbook7:137][19900519:1830]{Dream: Of an Urban House}[19th May 1990];

[Redbook7:132-133][19900504:1421]{Dream: Of a Military Exercise}[4th May 1990];

[Redbook7:122-123][19900416:2351]{Dream: Of Boarding the Wrong Train}[16th April 1990]; [Redbook7:114-115][19900403:1001b]{Dream: A Shop with [xS]}[3rd April 1990];[Redbook7:102-104][19900325:1023]{Dream: Of Two Journeys to the Church}[25th March 1990];

(Sunday);[Redbook7:90-91][19900317:2244]{Dream: Of Several Buildings}[17th March 1990]]

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{Literary Prostitution}[19th May 1990]

[Redbook7:138][19900519:1830b]{Literary Prostitution}[19th May 1990]

.1830

[continued]

I have had one of those bugs during the last few days* which do not lay me up but do tend to slow me down and physically de-energise me – so I have been resting from work on the house (new ceilings etc) and concentrating on desk- (and sofa-) work – accounts,** and the writing course.

Taking the writer’s*** school correspondence course represents a watershed – only possible after a decision to give up writing altogether, followed by an attempt to assess my talents in any direction (if any) which naturally came up with – writing. I regard writing for a market (as opposed to writing from within) as equivalent to prostitution. (When I mentioned this to [BD]),**** expecting him to categorise this as arrogance, he rather disconcertingly agreed with my own verdict.)

On the face of it, such a course of action is Outer Circle – but everything depends on motivation, and my decision is arrived at neither through love of money not through self-love, but from a desire to relieve my wife of the necessity of going regularly out to work (and also the need to publish something# in order to be able to say with a clear conscience: ‘I am a writer’ – I succumb!)

*{(& again c900625)}

**[Part of the remaining business, presumably; or possibly the accounts of the remaining business]

***[sic]

****[The writer’s former boarding school housemaster, living nearby, one of his referees for the ministry, & godfather to [s]]

#[A need which was met, not long afterwards, in newspapers & an Arts-Council-subsidised short story magazine]

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{Dream: Of an Urban House}[19th May 1990]

[Redbook7:137][19900519:1830]{Dream: Of an Urban House}[19th May 1990]

.1830

Sleeping late this morning – a curious dream of looking over a house which I took to be the Old Court House at Llan[...] (probably in waking life by now sold)* but which was different – larger, curiouser, surrounded on all sides by skyscrapers and subject to incursion by street gangs,** to fend off which a number of domestic servants were required.

There was a long list of restrictive covenants imposed by a former owner, an elderly lady*** as I thought, but I had some doubt as to whether they were for anyone’s benefit (technically speaking).**** There were numerous other incidents and aspects.

The tone-colour of the dream was rather sombre, perhaps liquid, like a rainy day or a veil# of tears (at least at the end); but the house was interesting.

*Not so <920620>

**onto a kind of open verandah/conservatory. The ‘gangs’ were not menacing, I think. <900520>

There is a long conservatory at [A]; just before we bought it, someone – probably small boys – tried rather amateurishly to break into a window behind it [on the site of a previous conservatory].... The house was built by a Mrs [C], and our dealings were with elderly Mrs [B]; there were a few restrictive covenants, and rights over [A] arousing concern, but probably of no practical value to anyone. <9206[?]20>

[Some years later the neighbouring detached house was acquired by a family whose younger members operating together were frequently in trouble with the authorities, but with one possible exception did not cause the writer any problems.]

***cf [[Redbook7:132-133][19900504:1421]{Dream: Of a Military Exercise}[4th May 1990],] 132;

ref [[Redbook7:139][19900520: 1524]{Dreaming of the Old Lady’s House}[20th May 1990],] 139

cf [[Redbook7:90-91][19900317:2244]{Dream: Of Several Buildings}[17th March 1990],] 90[-91] <920620>

****[ie legally speaking; the question is relevant to the enforceability of the covenants]

#[sic, & deliberate; a wordplay used elsewhere, eg in fiction]

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{Biblical Patterns}[19th May 1990]

[Redbook7:137][19900519:1545]{Biblical Patterns}[19th May 1990]

19900519.1545

‘The ghastly example of Hal Lindsay’s book... shows that the attempt to use the Bible as a user’s manual for the future is fraught with danger....’

‘...The idea that the Bible provides a template for history as it can be written is pretty thoroughly discredited by all the attempts that have been made to apply that template.’*

I wish I knew which book;** and, particularly, what attempts.

*Andrew Brown, Faith & Reason, ‘The stories that history cannot tell’, Ind[ependent(?)] 900519, p17.

**(The Late Great Planet Earth, perhaps?)

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{Plot Circles}[16th May 1990]

Redbook7:136][19900516:0916b]{Plot Circles}[16th May 1990]

.0916

[continued]

[This page in the ms is taken up by a photocopied page from [ibid] 2-6,7 (which cannot be reproduced here for copyright reasons), consisting of a list of plot points, with Circle markers written against them in the margin.]

*

*(A gradual shift of emphasis, in successive conflict tests (or sub[-]cycles), clockwise round the circle?) <900803>

(cf notes on [ibid] 2-7, Working Plot Plan)

Also, contra-rotation operates, critically. <900803>

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