All the he saids and she saids...something...something?
July 16, 2010 3:29 AM   Subscribe

Dimly-remembered-poem-filter. Please hope me.

I'm trying to find a poem I read maybe ten years ago now. If I'm remembering it correctly the poem's gimmick, if you like, was that the "he said" and "she said" parts took on a meaning of their own (as opposed to simply indicating who was speaking). You ended up with an impression of a conversation, or of the way a conversation works, rather than what was actually said. I'm sorry this is so vague, but it's starting to drive me nuts.

I want to say that the poem was by Joseph Brodsky, but I can't be sure--and searching for Joseph Brodsky +"he said" on Google is the proverbial needle-in-a-haystack job.

Does anybody out there know this poem? (Always assuming I'm not completely misremembering it, of course).
posted by Life at Boulton Wynfevers to Media & Arts (7 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Possibly "may i feel said he", by e.e. cummings?
posted by stuck on an island at 4:52 AM on July 16, 2010


probably not the one you want, but worth sharing

e.e. cummings up into the silence the green
up into the silence the green
silence with a white earth in it

you will(kiss me)go

out into the morning the young
morning with a warm world in it

(kiss me)you will go

on into the sunlight the fine
sunlight with a firm day in it

you will go(kiss me

down into your memory and
a memory and memory

i)kiss me,(will go)
posted by theora55 at 9:28 AM on July 16, 2010


Could it be Brodsky's 1969 poem "Homage to Yalta"? It's quite long (15 pages in A Part of Speech); you can only read the start (the first three and a half pages) here (scroll down, it's the last poem on the page), but it may be enough to tell you whether it's what you had in mind.
posted by languagehat at 10:42 AM on July 16, 2010


Other Brodsky conversation-poems: "Gorbunov and Gorchakov" ("So, what'd you dream of this time, Gorbunov?"/ "Oh, mushrooms mostly." "Mushrooms? Curious./ Again?" "Again." "You really make me laugh."/ "And why is that?...") and sections of "The New Jules Verne" ("Irina!" "Ah, what?" "Take a look at that thing, Irina."/ "But I am asleep." "All the same. Look!" "Where?" "In the porthole./ What is that?"), both from To Urania.
posted by languagehat at 10:50 AM on July 16, 2010


Best answer: You're in the UK right? You might want to try the National Poetry Library's ask a librarian service.
posted by tallus at 3:42 PM on July 16, 2010


Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. Sorry for the late reply, I've been away from the computer over the weekend. None of the suggestions here seem like the poem I was looking for, but it's no wonder as I gave you so little to go on. Having said that, I like all your suggestions so it was worth it from that point of view! Maybe it's time to ask a librarian (thanks, Tallus). If I turn up anything I'll post it back here in case anyone is interested.
posted by Life at Boulton Wynfevers at 3:05 AM on July 19, 2010


I seem to recall seeing a TV (YouTube?) skit recently that sounds similar -- instead of he said/she said it was like

him: question?
her: answer.
him: clarifying question?
her: bored answer.
him: invitation?
her: denial.
him: accusation!
her: emphatic denial!

(and so on . . .)

Only mentioning it in case it's close and gets someone else closer . . .
posted by MeiraV at 4:25 PM on July 20, 2010


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