| Author |
Message |
Qp10qp
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 8:20 pm
Post subject: The Horseman's Word. |
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I had always assumed that "The Horseman's Word", was simply the name of a
secret organisation: it never occurred to me that that there might really exist
a word that had a magical effect on horses.
But Don Paterson says this:
Actually the Horseman's Word - which gives the apprentice ploughman power over
horses and women when it's whispered in their ears - is also the secret formula
for all poems. It was unwisely published in F. Marshall MacNeill's "The Silver
Bough", so now it's in the public domain you might as well hear it. In Scots
it's "twa-in-yin"; two in one.
I can't find this word on Google. Does anyone know any more about it?
(My own feeling is that it's a bogus literalisation of a mystical nothingness;
if so, I've never been so disappointed by a revelation ain my life. I've just
whispered it in my lady's ear, and she looked at me as if I was mad. So I doubt
the word works, as that's the way she always looks at me. On the other hand,
I'm not an apprentice ploughman.)
Peasemarch.
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 8:43 pm
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
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|
Qp10qp wrote:
| Quote: | I had always assumed that "The Horseman's Word", was simply the name
of a secret organisation: it never occurred to me that that there
might really exist a word that had a magical effect on horses.
But Don Paterson says this:
Actually the Horseman's Word - which gives the apprentice ploughman
power over horses and women when it's whispered in their ears - is
also the secret formula for all poems. It was unwisely published in
F. Marshall MacNeill's "The Silver Bough", so now it's in the public
domain you might as well hear it. In Scots it's "twa-in-yin"; two in
one.
I can't find this word on Google. Does anyone know any more about it?
(My own feeling is that it's a bogus literalisation of a mystical
nothingness; if so, I've never been so disappointed by a revelation
ain my life. I've just whispered it in my lady's ear, and she looked
at me as if I was mad. So I doubt the word works, as that's the way
she always looks at me. On the other hand, I'm not an apprentice
ploughman.)
|
This time next year, let's be laughing together.
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 9:55 pm
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
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Qp10qp wrote:
| Quote: | I had always assumed that "The Horseman's Word", was simply the
name
of a secret organisation: it never occurred to me that that there
might really exist a word that had a magical effect on horses.
But Don Paterson says this:
Actually the Horseman's Word - which gives the apprentice ploughman
power over horses and women when it's whispered in their ears - is
also the secret formula for all poems. It was unwisely published in
F. Marshall MacNeill's "The Silver Bough", so now it's in the
public
domain you might as well hear it. In Scots it's "twa-in-yin"; two
in
one.
I can't find this word on Google. Does anyone know any more about
it?
(My own feeling is that it's a bogus literalisation of a mystical
nothingness; if so, I've never been so disappointed by a revelation
ain my life. I've just whispered it in my lady's ear, and she
looked
at me as if I was mad. So I doubt the word works, as that's the way
she always looks at me. On the other hand, I'm not an apprentice
ploughman.)
As I understand it, the Word has to be used in conjunction with an |
oil or compound whose recipe is also secret: I do know that oil of
rosemary was involved in East Anglia, but that's as far as I've got.
So you'd better get down to the Body Shop, if you can stand the
stench, and try some ingredients. I'm not sure, either, that the Word
was the same in all brotherhoods of horsemen. (Bit like one's
Transcendental Meditation word, isn't it? You dare not ask anybody if
they've got the same one.)
Mike.
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raymond o'hara
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 10:49 pm
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
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"Qp10qp" <qp10qp@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041106082031.06621.00000142@mb-m15.aol.com...
| Quote: | I had always assumed that "The Horseman's Word", was simply the name of a
secret organisation: it never occurred to me that that there might really
exist
a word that had a magical effect on horses.
But Don Paterson says this:
Actually the Horseman's Word - which gives the apprentice ploughman power
over
horses and women when it's whispered in their ears - is also the secret
formula
for all poems. It was unwisely published in F. Marshall MacNeill's "The
Silver
Bough", so now it's in the public domain you might as well hear it. In
Scots
it's "twa-in-yin"; two in one.
I can't find this word on Google. Does anyone know any more about it?
(My own feeling is that it's a bogus literalisation of a mystical
nothingness;
if so, I've never been so disappointed by a revelation ain my life. I've
just
whispered it in my lady's ear, and she looked at me as if I was mad. So I
doubt
the word works, as that's the way she always looks at me. On the other
hand,
I'm not an apprentice ploughman.)
Peasemarch.
|
Please, it'a akin to blowing in the horses ear and it works wonders on
people too and not just female types. |
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Robin Bignall
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 11:20 pm
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
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|
On Sat, 6 Nov 2004 14:43:57 +0100, "John Dean"
<john-dean@frag.lineone.net> wrote:
| Quote: | Qp10qp wrote:
I had always assumed that "The Horseman's Word", was simply the name
of a secret organisation: it never occurred to me that that there
might really exist a word that had a magical effect on horses.
But Don Paterson says this:
Actually the Horseman's Word - which gives the apprentice ploughman
power over horses and women when it's whispered in their ears - is
also the secret formula for all poems. It was unwisely published in
F. Marshall MacNeill's "The Silver Bough", so now it's in the public
domain you might as well hear it. In Scots it's "twa-in-yin"; two in
one.
I can't find this word on Google. Does anyone know any more about it?
(My own feeling is that it's a bogus literalisation of a mystical
nothingness; if so, I've never been so disappointed by a revelation
ain my life. I've just whispered it in my lady's ear, and she looked
at me as if I was mad. So I doubt the word works, as that's the way
she always looks at me. On the other hand, I'm not an apprentice
ploughman.)
This time next year, let's be laughing together.
|
"Rainen no kono hi mo issho ni waratteiy-oh".
Comments from British women include:
"Even if he looked like George Clooney I'd run a mile..." - Rachel,
English teacher from Bath
"The Japanese should stick to inventing gadgets if that's the best
they can come up with" - Sarah, musician from Bury St Edmunds
"The Japanese population will die out if all the men resort to this
line" - Laura, PR executive from Bristol
"It's quite creepy and you'd have to be really desperate to go for it"
- Alison, writer from North London
"Why not now, cos I ain't laughing" - Zoe, TV executive from North
London.
--
wrmst rgrds
Robin Bignall
Hertfordshire
England |
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Laura F Spira
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 2:58 am
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
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|
Qp10qp wrote:
| Quote: | I had always assumed that "The Horseman's Word", was simply the name of a
secret organisation: it never occurred to me that that there might really exist
a word that had a magical effect on horses.
But Don Paterson says this:
Actually the Horseman's Word - which gives the apprentice ploughman power over
horses and women when it's whispered in their ears - is also the secret formula
for all poems. It was unwisely published in F. Marshall MacNeill's "The Silver
Bough", so now it's in the public domain you might as well hear it. In Scots
it's "twa-in-yin"; two in one.
I can't find this word on Google. Does anyone know any more about it?
(My own feeling is that it's a bogus literalisation of a mystical nothingness;
if so, I've never been so disappointed by a revelation ain my life. I've just
whispered it in my lady's ear, and she looked at me as if I was mad. So I doubt
the word works, as that's the way she always looks at me. On the other hand,
I'm not an apprentice ploughman.)
|
Surely it's just the whispering that does it? If you say "twa-in-yin" it
sounds like a whisper (I've been practising all day since I read the
Paterson article over breakfast). I can't speak for horses but I'm quite
partial to having my ear whispered in. By the right sort of chap, of course.
I thought the article was interesting. I liked his swipe at Pinter but I
don't entirely agree with his view on poetry as therapy - if you need
it, read a poem rather than write one. Sometimes the right poem just
isn't to be found and you have to write one for yourself: of course, you
don't have to show it to anyone.
--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email) |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 4:20 am
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
|
|
Laura F Spira wrote:
| Quote: | Qp10qp wrote:
I had always assumed that "The Horseman's Word", was simply the
name
of a secret organisation: it never occurred to me that that there
might really exist a word that had a magical effect on horses.
But Don Paterson says this:
Actually the Horseman's Word - which gives the apprentice
ploughman
power over horses and women when it's whispered in their ears - is
also the secret formula for all poems. It was unwisely published
in
F. Marshall MacNeill's "The Silver Bough", so now it's in the
public
domain you might as well hear it. In Scots it's "twa-in-yin"; two
in
one.
I can't find this word on Google. Does anyone know any more about
it?
(My own feeling is that it's a bogus literalisation of a mystical
nothingness; if so, I've never been so disappointed by a
revelation
ain my life. I've just whispered it in my lady's ear, and she
looked
at me as if I was mad. So I doubt the word works, as that's the
way
she always looks at me. On the other hand, I'm not an apprentice
ploughman.)
Surely it's just the whispering that does it? If you say
"twa-in-yin"
it sounds like a whisper (I've been practising all day since I read
the Paterson article over breakfast). I can't speak for horses but
I'm quite partial to having my ear whispered in. By the right sort
of
chap, of course.
I thought the article was interesting. I liked his swipe at Pinter
but I don't entirely agree with his view on poetry as therapy - if
you need
it, read a poem rather than write one. Sometimes the right poem
just
isn't to be found and you have to write one for yourself: of
course,
you don't have to show it to anyone.
|
Yeah, but that's not poetry (or is it?). It can be made into poetry
every now and then, but it isn't poetry yet. You can hum while doing
the dishes, but it isn't a string quartet, or even a vocalise. I know
very well you're not as follows; but I once, on some insane whim,
went to a meeting of a writers' circle. The woman next to me asked
what I did, and I skipped the boring stuff and said "I'm trying to
learn to write poetry." She then appallingly said, and I haven't made
this up, "You don't have to learn to write poetry, you just spit it
out." Remind me not to sit under a shelf _she_ thinks she's screwed
to the wall, I thought. I didn't show for the next meeting. (I did
find a more professional circle, but that's another story.)
Mike. |
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John W. Hall
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 6:39 am
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
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|
The Horseman's Word is as good as his Steed!
--
John W Hall <wweexxsseessssaa@telus.net>
Cochrane, Alberta, Canada.
"Helping People Prosper in the Information Age" |
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John W. Hall
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:15 am
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
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On Sat, 06 Nov 2004 23:39:05 GMT, John W. Hall
<wweexxsseessssaa@shaw.ca> wrote:
| Quote: | The Horseman's Word is as good as his Steed!
|
OOPS!
The Horseman's Steed is as good as his Word!
--
John W Hall <wweexxsseessssaa@telus.net>
Cochrane, Alberta, Canada.
"Helping People Prosper in the Information Age" |
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don groves
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 9:04 am
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
|
|
In article <2v4thoF2g4n2nU2@uni-berlin.de>, Mike Lyle at
mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk poured forth...
| Quote: | Laura F Spira wrote:
Qp10qp wrote:
I had always assumed that "The Horseman's Word", was simply the
name
of a secret organisation: it never occurred to me that that there
might really exist a word that had a magical effect on horses.
But Don Paterson says this:
Actually the Horseman's Word - which gives the apprentice
ploughman
power over horses and women when it's whispered in their ears - is
also the secret formula for all poems. It was unwisely published
in
F. Marshall MacNeill's "The Silver Bough", so now it's in the
public
domain you might as well hear it. In Scots it's "twa-in-yin"; two
in
one.
I can't find this word on Google. Does anyone know any more about
it?
(My own feeling is that it's a bogus literalisation of a mystical
nothingness; if so, I've never been so disappointed by a
revelation
ain my life. I've just whispered it in my lady's ear, and she
looked
at me as if I was mad. So I doubt the word works, as that's the
way
she always looks at me. On the other hand, I'm not an apprentice
ploughman.)
Surely it's just the whispering that does it? If you say
"twa-in-yin"
it sounds like a whisper (I've been practising all day since I read
the Paterson article over breakfast). I can't speak for horses but
I'm quite partial to having my ear whispered in. By the right sort
of
chap, of course.
I thought the article was interesting. I liked his swipe at Pinter
but I don't entirely agree with his view on poetry as therapy - if
you need
it, read a poem rather than write one. Sometimes the right poem
just
isn't to be found and you have to write one for yourself: of
course,
you don't have to show it to anyone.
Yeah, but that's not poetry (or is it?). It can be made into poetry
every now and then, but it isn't poetry yet. You can hum while doing
the dishes, but it isn't a string quartet, or even a vocalise. I know
very well you're not as follows; but I once, on some insane whim,
went to a meeting of a writers' circle. The woman next to me asked
what I did, and I skipped the boring stuff and said "I'm trying to
learn to write poetry." She then appallingly said, and I haven't made
this up, "You don't have to learn to write poetry, you just spit it
out." Remind me not to sit under a shelf _she_ thinks she's screwed
to the wall, I thought. I didn't show for the next meeting. (I did
find a more professional circle, but that's another story.)
|
There is some truth to what she said -- "spitting it out" is a
great first step, getting it all down on paper without your
internal editor blocking anything. But then comes the revising...
--
dg (domain=ccwebster) |
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Laura F Spira
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:00 pm
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
|
|
Mike Lyle wrote:
| Quote: |
I thought the article was interesting. I liked his swipe at Pinter
but I don't entirely agree with his view on poetry as therapy - if
you need
it, read a poem rather than write one. Sometimes the right poem
just
isn't to be found and you have to write one for yourself: of
course,
you don't have to show it to anyone.
Yeah, but that's not poetry (or is it?). It can be made into poetry
every now and then, but it isn't poetry yet.
|
Why not? I would argue that the idea is the poem, however long it may
take to express it in the constraint of language.
| Quote: | You can hum while doing
the dishes, but it isn't a string quartet, or even a vocalise.
|
I know nothing about creating music but it seems possible that some
music might spring into the mind almost fully formed.
I know
| Quote: | very well you're not as follows; but I once, on some insane whim,
went to a meeting of a writers' circle. The woman next to me asked
what I did, and I skipped the boring stuff and said "I'm trying to
learn to write poetry." She then appallingly said, and I haven't made
this up, "You don't have to learn to write poetry, you just spit it
out." Remind me not to sit under a shelf _she_ thinks she's screwed
to the wall, I thought. I didn't show for the next meeting. (I did
find a more professional circle, but that's another story.)
|
I find the idea of spitting poetry out pretty repellent. In my
experience, you sort of dig it out of yourself. When I saw
Michelangelo's David, I was very disappointed but, in the Accademia,
before you get to David, there is a series of unfinished pieces -
called, I think, Slaves - where the people seem to be struggling out of
the marble. Their unfinishedness is very powerful and I think good
poetry often gives that sense of being part of an interrupted and
continuing creative process.
But I'm not sure whether or how one learns to write poetry. I think
learning to read it is probably the first step and that is not easy.
Paterson's article is full of good stuff. He says: "..the process of the
poem is that of a single unifying *new* idea being driven through the
productive resistance of the form proposed by the marriage of two
previously estranged or unrelated things." He also argues that poetry
takes us back to an early way of knowing that is overlaid by the
acquisition of language. And he expresses himself poetically: "We see
the nerve in the bare tree; we hear the applause in the rain."
--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email) |
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Qp10qp
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:54 am
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
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| Quote: | Subject: Re: The Horseman's Word.
From: Laura F Spira
I thought the article was interesting. I liked his swipe at Pinter
|
I'm a great fan of Pinter's early plays, but his recent political poetry is as
dire as Paterson suggests.
| Quote: | but I
don't entirely agree with his view on poetry as therapy - if you need
it, read a poem rather than write one. Sometimes the right poem just
isn't to be found and you have to write one for yourself: of course, you
don't have to show it to anyone.
|
Having been shown a few people's amateur poetry, despite my not being a poet in
the slightest, I can see where Paterson's coming from (he's probably constantly
bombarded with manuscripts), but he should know that without amateur interest
in poetry he'd sell fewer books and be invited to read, adjudicate, and
participate at fewer events (which I believe is how most poets earn their
living).
Of course, as with most skills - football, say - few reach the highest level,
but that isn't to say they shouldn't take part in the activity. And although
some may deny it, there's an element of "therapy" in all art; that's how it
came into being in the first place, surely, as a way for humans to try to make
sense of existence. However, I dislike as much as he does the happy-clappy
"everyone's contribution is equal" approach; that ceases to be the case
immediately work is presented for public consumption.
Peasemarch. |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 1:52 am
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
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|
Qp10qp wrote:
| Quote: | Subject: Re: The Horseman's Word.
From: Laura F Spira
I thought the article was interesting. I liked his swipe at Pinter
I'm a great fan of Pinter's early plays, but his recent political
poetry is as dire as Paterson suggests.
[...]
Having been shown a few people's amateur poetry, despite my not
being
a poet in the slightest, I can see where Paterson's coming from
(he's
probably constantly bombarded with manuscripts), but he should know
that without amateur interest in poetry he'd sell fewer books and
be
invited to read, adjudicate, and participate at fewer events (which
I
believe is how most poets earn their living).
Of course, as with most skills - football, say - few reach the
highest level, but that isn't to say they shouldn't take part in
the
activity. [...]
|
Football and poetry have in common that if there were no bad, there'd
be no good.
Mike. |
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don groves
Guest
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:37 am
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
|
|
In article <2v796qF2fbu3fU2@uni-berlin.de>, Mike Lyle at
mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk poured forth...
| Quote: | Qp10qp wrote:
Subject: Re: The Horseman's Word.
From: Laura F Spira
I thought the article was interesting. I liked his swipe at Pinter
I'm a great fan of Pinter's early plays, but his recent political
poetry is as dire as Paterson suggests.
[...]
Having been shown a few people's amateur poetry, despite my not
being
a poet in the slightest, I can see where Paterson's coming from
(he's
probably constantly bombarded with manuscripts), but he should know
that without amateur interest in poetry he'd sell fewer books and
be
invited to read, adjudicate, and participate at fewer events (which
I
believe is how most poets earn their living).
Of course, as with most skills - football, say - few reach the
highest level, but that isn't to say they shouldn't take part in
the
activity. [...]
Football and poetry have in common that if there were no bad, there'd
be no good.
|
Only football and poetry? How about every human endeavor?
--
dg (domain=ccwebster) |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:40 am
Post subject: Re: The Horseman's Word. |
|
|
don groves wrote:
| Quote: | In article <2v796qF2fbu3fU2@uni-berlin.de>, Mike Lyle at
mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk poured forth...
Qp10qp wrote:
[...]
should know that without amateur interest in poetry he'd sell
fewer
books and be invited to read, adjudicate, and participate at
fewer
events (which I believe is how most poets earn their living).
Of course, as with most skills - football, say - few reach the
highest level, but that isn't to say they shouldn't take part in
the
activity. [...]
Football and poetry have in common that if there were no bad,
there'd
be no good.
Only football and poetry? How about every human endeavor?
|
Certainly; but football and poetry were the only ones Albert
mentioned. It's my excuse for everything I do!
Mike. |
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