Macbeth and Lady Macbeth‘The Blame Game’ and Other Poetry by Susan Jarvis Bryant The Society August 4, 2023 Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Rondel 38 Comments . The Blame Game a kyrielle They rile. They gall. They know it all. These irksome jerks in folly’s thrall Are perilously cretinous. __It’s always Them. It’s never Us. They grouse and groan. They mope and moan. With spines of sponge and souls of stone These gutless gripers cuss and fuss. __It’s always Them. It’s never Us. They’re dull of head. Their wits have fled. Their loony lips are spewing dread— The chunder of a blunderbuss. __It’s always Them. It’s never Us. These cliquey freaks who scheme and sneak And squeak and shriek in doublespeak Will claim our blame is scurrilous— __It’s never Them. It’s always Us. . . She’s Not to Blame a rondelet She’s not to blame. She didn’t whet or wield the knife. She’s not to blame— No gore-fouled ghoul will shame her name For grisly plots. He plunged the knife! She warms his bed… a charming wife. She’s not to blame. . . A Faultless Rondel My aura is buoyant. I’m joyous of mood— No harrowing howling beneath the moon’s bloom; No waltzing with woe in the grudge-ridden gloom. I boycott the bawl of a blistering feud. I flit past the bitter and brush off the rude Remarks from the snarkiest hawkers of doom. My aura is buoyant. I’m joyous of mood— No harrowing howling beneath the moon’s bloom. I’m tastefully gracious—I ooze rectitude. My glowing persona illumes every room, Eclipsing the wretched and rueful who zoom To tomb-chilly corners—a sniveling brood. My aura is buoyant. I’m joyous of mood. . . Susan Jarvis Bryant has poetry published on Lighten Up Online, Snakeskin, Light, Sparks of Calliope, and Expansive Poetry Online. She also has poetry published in TRINACRIA, Beth Houston’s Extreme Formal Poems anthology, and in Openings (anthologies of poems by Open University Poets in the UK). Susan is the winner of the 2020 International SCP Poetry Competition, and has been nominated for the 2022 Pushcart Prize. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 38 Responses Sally Cook August 4, 2023 Susan, I love the way the words enhance each other to build a picture. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Dame Sally – it’s always lovely to receive a comment from your good self. I hold your comment dear because building a picture with words is always my aim… and textures matter… the right color, the right aroma, the right note. You are a master of just that and I am glad you approve of my poetic efforts. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson August 4, 2023 There is so much meaning implanted in “They” and “Them!” “A Faultless Rondel” oozes with alliteration that is one of the endearing characteristics and recognition features I always attribute to your skill and creativity. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Roy, my They & Them effort is a poem that I simply had to write in an age that many are so busy finger-pointing they miss the bigger picture. As for the alliteration… I simply can’t help myself… I am a fan of this figure of speech and I want to shout in alliterative rapture from the rooftops. As ever, thank you for your encouragement and support. Reply Joseph S. Salemi August 4, 2023 “The Blame Game” is a perfect depiction of the professional victims and complainers who make modern life a cacophony of moralistic whining. And “She’s Not to Blame” is a nice little cameo appearance of Lady Macbeth. The last poem is actually a snapshot of Susan Bryant’s temperament and personality — joyful, ebullient, irrepressibly happy and loving, and not to be beaten down by nastiness. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Joe, whenever a poem of mine turns your head I rejoice. You embody all that is literary and I am thankful for your voice of wisdom… it has encouraged me on my journey. Thank you! Reply Paul Erlandson August 4, 2023 These are wonderful, Susan! The first is my favorite … so dense and rich and crunchy … like one of those “Death by Chocolate” desserts that some restaurants serve. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Paul, thank you!! I love this comment… “Death by Chocolate” is one helluva a compliment… there are far worse ways to go!! 🙂 Reply Julian D. Woodruff August 4, 2023 The first is the most virtuosic (“chunder” is new to me, by thunder), but the second is the starkest and the sharpest. The third is a romp to which the preceding two add just the right seasoning. Great, Susan Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Julian, I always relish a poetic comment from you, and this is a gem. Thank you! Reply Rohini August 4, 2023 Absolutely brilliant, Susan Bryant! I loved all three. She’s not to Blame, is the essence of a short story I’ve just written and is due to be published in a crime anthology. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Thank you very much, Rohini! I simply have to read your short story… do send us all a link – it sounds most intriguing, and congratulations on the publishing front!! Reply Mary Gardner August 4, 2023 Susan, you again demonstrate your unparalleled talent. My interpretation is that the speaker in “A Faultless Rondel” is a not-my-fault hypocrite who narrates the first poem and is the “she” of the second poem. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Mary, thank you! You’ve picked up the gist of the series… I made the first and last purposely ambiguous… with the middle as the glue that binds. But… there’s an awful lot of me between the lines… 🙂 Reply Yael August 4, 2023 You have the most amazing way with the English language Susan. When I read your poems out loud, because that’s how they sound best, I almost believe that English can’t help but rhyme and chime in every line, although I know that’s not true of course. Your poetry is like a crystal clear brook bubbling up and flowing down a high alpine meadow, giving life to flowers, birds and bees along the way, effortlessly and natural. Regardless of which topic you choose for your poems, the sounds and images flow so smoothly as if there were no other better way for them to come to life. You have an outstanding talent, thank you for sharing it! Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 5, 2023 Yael, thank you most kindly for your wonderful comment… especially “English can’t help but rhyme and chime in every line…” and that “crystal clear brook bubbling up and flowing down a high alpine meadow, giving life to flowers, birds and bees along the way, effortlessly and natural.” These words are pure poetry. You have a creative talent of your own, and I thoroughly appreciate you sharing it in the comments section. Reply Carey Jobe August 5, 2023 Susan, I loved passing through the moods of these poems. I would happily dance with Three, run for dear life from Two, and request further information from One. Yet, I think they all could be the same enigmatic lady. Your craftsmanship is evident throughout: phrases like “grudge-ridden gloom” stay in the mind, even after a morning of chores. And “chunder” was new for me. That word’s history (I checked Urban Dictionary) is a hoot! Thanks for offering three poems delightful on so many levels! Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 5, 2023 Carey, thank you very much for your smile of a comment – a comment which has me wanting to check out the word “chunder” in the Urban Dictionary! Reply Mark Stellinga August 5, 2023 Susan, you long ago raised the alliterativity bar to a point where it’s all but impossible for most any other poet to compose comparable work. But I forgive you. The expertise to convey issues this ‘meaningful’, this eloquently, and so wonderfully poetically, is such a rare talent. IMO – your work represents the pinnacle we life-long rhymers are struggling to reach. BTW – both of your new books are superb. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 5, 2023 Mark, I am almost speechless – other than to say, thank you so very much for your kind and encouraging words. I am over the moon you enjoyed this series of poems… I had such fun writing them. I have a feeling a little bit of my joy rubs off. Reply Brian A Yapko August 5, 2023 Susan, this is a trio of sardonic delights which are not only fine poetry but deeply observant of human nature – especially the immature and dishonest instinct of too many to evade responsibility for their actions. “The Blame Game” does a splendid job of presenting the immature mindset of people who are completely self-referential in their values and actions. These are the same people who look in the mirror and congratulate themselves on how evolved they are, how nice they are. So invested are they in their impenetrable self-perception of goodness that they can’t even see that they are among the worst enablers and pimps on the planet. You bring this observation home with a fine spotlight on Lady Macbeth. Of course, LM does eventually crack because the guilty conscience is real and unsustainable. Your “Faultless Rondel” is more ambiguous. Yes, it can be read as an expression of defiance against all the naysayers who try to take one down. But I see far more oblivious irony in this poem than authentic self-confidence. The word “faultless” in the title, which no one who is truly faultless would presume to use. The smug “my glowing persona illumes every room”, the slightly gross “I ooze rectitude.” As I read it, this is a speaker who is oblivious to her own annoying perkiness – the very person I mention in my first paragraph – someone who is so impenetrable they cannot conceive of herself/himself as anything other than kind and generous while utterly clueless as to how destructive she actually is. Here, that buoyant aura who brushes off those snarky “hawkers of doom” probably means living in a fantasy world. I know such people! Susan, please let me know if I’ve misread this. Reply Joseph S. Salemi August 5, 2023 Brian, your reading of the last poem is more complex than mine, and may in fact be deeper. For me, whenever I think of Susan Bryant I just smile with happiness (unusual in my case), so perhaps I missed the irony that you notice. It could very well be a poem of sarcastic criticism of a self-absorbed and self-satisfied person. Let’s hear from the author — always keeping in mind that authors are not always the most perceptive readers of their own work. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 5, 2023 Joe, firstly (and most importantly) I am glad I make you smile. In this walking-on-eggshells era of the perpetually offended, that is one helluva compliment. Thank you! Secondly, the interpretation of my work… I know exactly what I set out to do and I’ve mentioned some of it in the comments section. I also feel I’ve learned something from this series, something directly associated with your comment on Mr. Tweedie’s recent poem: The disease of poets is to be trapped by the three miseries (Meaning, Message, and Moral) This comment had my brain whirring and I’m not sure I fully comprehend it now. What it has taught me is that a preoccupation with Meaning, Message, and Moral can leave a poet casting aside the main reason for a poem’s existence… artistic appeal – literary aesthetics every poem has to have in order to be defined as a poem. I try to create poems that have a certain beauty and musicality even when the subject matter is dire… this can result in a cognitive dissonance that detracts from the meaning. It can also enhance the meaning. It all depends on the reader and presumably how well I expressed myself as a poet… but does this matter? I am happy with all the reactions I got to this series. Some of them concentrated more on the poetic devices, some on the meaning… which I admit was somewhat of a riddle with little clues littered throughout… my dark, British humor. Is this how poetry should be? I’m not sure. I’m still learning… and I’m still thinking about your words. Susan Jarvis Bryant August 5, 2023 Brian, I thoroughly appreciate your attention to detail and your interpretation of the underlying message in this series… you have picked up on exactly where I’m coming from. Your comment has made me think (long and hard) on a couple of points that I will pick up with Joe in my reply to him. I am thrilled you enjoyed the works and thank you wholeheartedly for your keen eye, your encouragement, and your appreciation of my poetry. Reply Margaret Coats August 5, 2023 Susan, the most profound of these poems is “A Faultless Rondel.” Brian Yapko has noted the words in it that belie the speaker’s self-image of faultless optimism. I’ll address the underlying motif of Pollyanna. The name and character have appeared recurrently in works of art since the children’s book was first published more than 100 years ago. “A Faultless Rondel” is a Pollyanna poem spoken by a self-proclaimed Pollyanna. That makes it suspect even before we read it with care. Self-praise judging oneself perfect in anything is problematic, and it is entirely uncharacteristic of Pollyannas. A true Pollyanna undergoes suffering, but plays her famous “Glad Game” to find something good (even a very minor good) in her situation. Example: The orphan girl hopes for a doll from the charity Christmas barrel, but only a pair of crutches is left. She is glad she does not need them. Your poem could have been simply ambiguous if it had been written in the third person. In the first person, it is caustic satire. The speaker is self-deluded, and her one saving grace is that she has very few words to praise herself (mostly the repeated ones). Eight of thirteen lines in the poem describe the negativity she claims not to have; she really knows it quite well, and her words suggest that she despises it! Pollyanna is not someone most people want to find in life. She makes others look sad, mad, and bad. Even persons who are not naturally pessimistic want others to be more rational and realistic. I have heard that psychologists actually use “the pollyanna principle” (or other words including the name) to describe what they consider a disorder of excessive optimism. Joe Salemi will have his own reasons why he found you, Susan, in the poem. I suggest that he saw someone with a naturally buoyant personality like yours, who is willing to work off her frustrations not by playing the Glad Game, but by writing satire as sharp as he likes–which can at times be playful as well. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 6, 2023 Margaret, thank you very much for taking the time to read my poems and provide such an interesting take. Sadly, the speaker in “A faultless Rondel” is as far from the Pollyanna principle as one could possibly imagine. As Brian observes, this person is “someone who is so impenetrable they cannot conceive of herself/himself as anything other than kind and generous while utterly clueless as to how destructive she actually is.”… a condition that seems to be growing in this chaotic age of skewed reality, no humility, and no personal responsibility – it’s always someone else’s fault. Reply Joseph S. Salemi August 5, 2023 Well, I’m glad Susan’s rondel is complex enough to call for taking Empson’s “Seven Types of Ambiguity” off the shelf. That it can be read (or misread) in different ways is a sign of real poetic skill on the author’s part. Margaret is right — the poem is both sharp and playful. I ought to explain that I do not attack “Meaning, Message, and Moral” in themselves, as they sometimes have a place in a good poem, mostly as armature and decor. What I object to is the unconscious tendency on the part of many poets to think of poetry as nothing but a means of communication like a telegraph or an e-mail account, which can be used to hector, sermonize, and proselytize for “the greater good.” Poems have to be a source of literary pleasure, first and foremost. I’ve just submitted an essay on this subject to Evan Mantyk. It’s called “The Cultured Hedonist,” and in it I try to make the case for poetry as an independent, sui generis art form that is not subject to non-aesthetic mandates. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 6, 2023 Joe, thank you for this. These words speak to me loudly and clearly: “Poems have to be a source of literary pleasure, first and foremost.” I couldn’t agree more! I am thoroughly looking forward to reading ‘The Cultured Hedonist’ – one of the wonders of being a member of this site is the educative aspect. I have learned more about poetry in these last four years than I’ve learned throughout my entire education, and it’s been fun! Reply Norma Pain August 6, 2023 Such a pleasure to read these three poems Susan. I am saving them to chew over again and again. Thank you. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 6, 2023 Norma, it’s always lovely to hear from you. I’m thrilled you enjoyed these poems… and I’m over the moon you’re saving them to return to. There’s plenty to chew over. 😉 Thank you very much indeed! Reply Mia August 6, 2023 Dear Susan, I also have enjoyed these poems very much. To add to the many interpretations the Faultless Rondel for some reason makes me think of Meghan Markle. Come to think of it so does She’s Not to Blame. But that also brings Jill Biden to mind. The Kyrielle , I think that’s the media, yes Lord have mercy. I have been studying all the outstanding poems on this site to improve my writing but find myself getting into discussions instead. Hopefully my interpretations aren’t completely hopeless. Are they? Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 6, 2023 Mia, I’m so glad you enjoyed the poems. Your personal take on each one of them is wonderful. That’s what’s so great about writing poetry that leaves room for the reader’s interpretation. Every reader brings something of themselves to the creation giving an extra dimension to the author’s words. Your take is superb. You are spot on every one of your choices, and I’m smiling in agreement. Mia, thank you! Reply James Sale August 8, 2023 As always, wonderfully vivacious, Susan, and a literary and language treat: I am especially fond of the line, ‘The chunder of a blunderbuss’. That is great! Well done. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 10, 2023 James, thank you very much indeed! I’m glad you like that line… I wasn’t so sure, but now it has your seal of approval, I can rest at ease. Reply Gregory Ross August 10, 2023 You nailed it with ” …spines of sponge, and souls of stone.” Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 10, 2023 I will admit to smiling when I wrote that line… thank you very much for your kind comment, Gregory. Reply David Whippman August 12, 2023 Susan, thanks for these cleverly penned examples of old verse forms. I really enjoyed them, and you’ve inspired me to try the rondeau-type form myself. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant August 15, 2023 David, thank you! I thoroughly look forward to reading a rondeau-type form from your good self. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Sally Cook August 4, 2023 Susan, I love the way the words enhance each other to build a picture. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Dame Sally – it’s always lovely to receive a comment from your good self. I hold your comment dear because building a picture with words is always my aim… and textures matter… the right color, the right aroma, the right note. You are a master of just that and I am glad you approve of my poetic efforts. Reply
Roy Eugene Peterson August 4, 2023 There is so much meaning implanted in “They” and “Them!” “A Faultless Rondel” oozes with alliteration that is one of the endearing characteristics and recognition features I always attribute to your skill and creativity. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Roy, my They & Them effort is a poem that I simply had to write in an age that many are so busy finger-pointing they miss the bigger picture. As for the alliteration… I simply can’t help myself… I am a fan of this figure of speech and I want to shout in alliterative rapture from the rooftops. As ever, thank you for your encouragement and support. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi August 4, 2023 “The Blame Game” is a perfect depiction of the professional victims and complainers who make modern life a cacophony of moralistic whining. And “She’s Not to Blame” is a nice little cameo appearance of Lady Macbeth. The last poem is actually a snapshot of Susan Bryant’s temperament and personality — joyful, ebullient, irrepressibly happy and loving, and not to be beaten down by nastiness. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Joe, whenever a poem of mine turns your head I rejoice. You embody all that is literary and I am thankful for your voice of wisdom… it has encouraged me on my journey. Thank you! Reply
Paul Erlandson August 4, 2023 These are wonderful, Susan! The first is my favorite … so dense and rich and crunchy … like one of those “Death by Chocolate” desserts that some restaurants serve. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Paul, thank you!! I love this comment… “Death by Chocolate” is one helluva a compliment… there are far worse ways to go!! 🙂 Reply
Julian D. Woodruff August 4, 2023 The first is the most virtuosic (“chunder” is new to me, by thunder), but the second is the starkest and the sharpest. The third is a romp to which the preceding two add just the right seasoning. Great, Susan Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Julian, I always relish a poetic comment from you, and this is a gem. Thank you! Reply
Rohini August 4, 2023 Absolutely brilliant, Susan Bryant! I loved all three. She’s not to Blame, is the essence of a short story I’ve just written and is due to be published in a crime anthology. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Thank you very much, Rohini! I simply have to read your short story… do send us all a link – it sounds most intriguing, and congratulations on the publishing front!! Reply
Mary Gardner August 4, 2023 Susan, you again demonstrate your unparalleled talent. My interpretation is that the speaker in “A Faultless Rondel” is a not-my-fault hypocrite who narrates the first poem and is the “she” of the second poem. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 4, 2023 Mary, thank you! You’ve picked up the gist of the series… I made the first and last purposely ambiguous… with the middle as the glue that binds. But… there’s an awful lot of me between the lines… 🙂 Reply
Yael August 4, 2023 You have the most amazing way with the English language Susan. When I read your poems out loud, because that’s how they sound best, I almost believe that English can’t help but rhyme and chime in every line, although I know that’s not true of course. Your poetry is like a crystal clear brook bubbling up and flowing down a high alpine meadow, giving life to flowers, birds and bees along the way, effortlessly and natural. Regardless of which topic you choose for your poems, the sounds and images flow so smoothly as if there were no other better way for them to come to life. You have an outstanding talent, thank you for sharing it! Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 5, 2023 Yael, thank you most kindly for your wonderful comment… especially “English can’t help but rhyme and chime in every line…” and that “crystal clear brook bubbling up and flowing down a high alpine meadow, giving life to flowers, birds and bees along the way, effortlessly and natural.” These words are pure poetry. You have a creative talent of your own, and I thoroughly appreciate you sharing it in the comments section. Reply
Carey Jobe August 5, 2023 Susan, I loved passing through the moods of these poems. I would happily dance with Three, run for dear life from Two, and request further information from One. Yet, I think they all could be the same enigmatic lady. Your craftsmanship is evident throughout: phrases like “grudge-ridden gloom” stay in the mind, even after a morning of chores. And “chunder” was new for me. That word’s history (I checked Urban Dictionary) is a hoot! Thanks for offering three poems delightful on so many levels! Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 5, 2023 Carey, thank you very much for your smile of a comment – a comment which has me wanting to check out the word “chunder” in the Urban Dictionary! Reply
Mark Stellinga August 5, 2023 Susan, you long ago raised the alliterativity bar to a point where it’s all but impossible for most any other poet to compose comparable work. But I forgive you. The expertise to convey issues this ‘meaningful’, this eloquently, and so wonderfully poetically, is such a rare talent. IMO – your work represents the pinnacle we life-long rhymers are struggling to reach. BTW – both of your new books are superb. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 5, 2023 Mark, I am almost speechless – other than to say, thank you so very much for your kind and encouraging words. I am over the moon you enjoyed this series of poems… I had such fun writing them. I have a feeling a little bit of my joy rubs off. Reply
Brian A Yapko August 5, 2023 Susan, this is a trio of sardonic delights which are not only fine poetry but deeply observant of human nature – especially the immature and dishonest instinct of too many to evade responsibility for their actions. “The Blame Game” does a splendid job of presenting the immature mindset of people who are completely self-referential in their values and actions. These are the same people who look in the mirror and congratulate themselves on how evolved they are, how nice they are. So invested are they in their impenetrable self-perception of goodness that they can’t even see that they are among the worst enablers and pimps on the planet. You bring this observation home with a fine spotlight on Lady Macbeth. Of course, LM does eventually crack because the guilty conscience is real and unsustainable. Your “Faultless Rondel” is more ambiguous. Yes, it can be read as an expression of defiance against all the naysayers who try to take one down. But I see far more oblivious irony in this poem than authentic self-confidence. The word “faultless” in the title, which no one who is truly faultless would presume to use. The smug “my glowing persona illumes every room”, the slightly gross “I ooze rectitude.” As I read it, this is a speaker who is oblivious to her own annoying perkiness – the very person I mention in my first paragraph – someone who is so impenetrable they cannot conceive of herself/himself as anything other than kind and generous while utterly clueless as to how destructive she actually is. Here, that buoyant aura who brushes off those snarky “hawkers of doom” probably means living in a fantasy world. I know such people! Susan, please let me know if I’ve misread this. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi August 5, 2023 Brian, your reading of the last poem is more complex than mine, and may in fact be deeper. For me, whenever I think of Susan Bryant I just smile with happiness (unusual in my case), so perhaps I missed the irony that you notice. It could very well be a poem of sarcastic criticism of a self-absorbed and self-satisfied person. Let’s hear from the author — always keeping in mind that authors are not always the most perceptive readers of their own work. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 5, 2023 Joe, firstly (and most importantly) I am glad I make you smile. In this walking-on-eggshells era of the perpetually offended, that is one helluva compliment. Thank you! Secondly, the interpretation of my work… I know exactly what I set out to do and I’ve mentioned some of it in the comments section. I also feel I’ve learned something from this series, something directly associated with your comment on Mr. Tweedie’s recent poem: The disease of poets is to be trapped by the three miseries (Meaning, Message, and Moral) This comment had my brain whirring and I’m not sure I fully comprehend it now. What it has taught me is that a preoccupation with Meaning, Message, and Moral can leave a poet casting aside the main reason for a poem’s existence… artistic appeal – literary aesthetics every poem has to have in order to be defined as a poem. I try to create poems that have a certain beauty and musicality even when the subject matter is dire… this can result in a cognitive dissonance that detracts from the meaning. It can also enhance the meaning. It all depends on the reader and presumably how well I expressed myself as a poet… but does this matter? I am happy with all the reactions I got to this series. Some of them concentrated more on the poetic devices, some on the meaning… which I admit was somewhat of a riddle with little clues littered throughout… my dark, British humor. Is this how poetry should be? I’m not sure. I’m still learning… and I’m still thinking about your words.
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 5, 2023 Brian, I thoroughly appreciate your attention to detail and your interpretation of the underlying message in this series… you have picked up on exactly where I’m coming from. Your comment has made me think (long and hard) on a couple of points that I will pick up with Joe in my reply to him. I am thrilled you enjoyed the works and thank you wholeheartedly for your keen eye, your encouragement, and your appreciation of my poetry. Reply
Margaret Coats August 5, 2023 Susan, the most profound of these poems is “A Faultless Rondel.” Brian Yapko has noted the words in it that belie the speaker’s self-image of faultless optimism. I’ll address the underlying motif of Pollyanna. The name and character have appeared recurrently in works of art since the children’s book was first published more than 100 years ago. “A Faultless Rondel” is a Pollyanna poem spoken by a self-proclaimed Pollyanna. That makes it suspect even before we read it with care. Self-praise judging oneself perfect in anything is problematic, and it is entirely uncharacteristic of Pollyannas. A true Pollyanna undergoes suffering, but plays her famous “Glad Game” to find something good (even a very minor good) in her situation. Example: The orphan girl hopes for a doll from the charity Christmas barrel, but only a pair of crutches is left. She is glad she does not need them. Your poem could have been simply ambiguous if it had been written in the third person. In the first person, it is caustic satire. The speaker is self-deluded, and her one saving grace is that she has very few words to praise herself (mostly the repeated ones). Eight of thirteen lines in the poem describe the negativity she claims not to have; she really knows it quite well, and her words suggest that she despises it! Pollyanna is not someone most people want to find in life. She makes others look sad, mad, and bad. Even persons who are not naturally pessimistic want others to be more rational and realistic. I have heard that psychologists actually use “the pollyanna principle” (or other words including the name) to describe what they consider a disorder of excessive optimism. Joe Salemi will have his own reasons why he found you, Susan, in the poem. I suggest that he saw someone with a naturally buoyant personality like yours, who is willing to work off her frustrations not by playing the Glad Game, but by writing satire as sharp as he likes–which can at times be playful as well. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 6, 2023 Margaret, thank you very much for taking the time to read my poems and provide such an interesting take. Sadly, the speaker in “A faultless Rondel” is as far from the Pollyanna principle as one could possibly imagine. As Brian observes, this person is “someone who is so impenetrable they cannot conceive of herself/himself as anything other than kind and generous while utterly clueless as to how destructive she actually is.”… a condition that seems to be growing in this chaotic age of skewed reality, no humility, and no personal responsibility – it’s always someone else’s fault. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi August 5, 2023 Well, I’m glad Susan’s rondel is complex enough to call for taking Empson’s “Seven Types of Ambiguity” off the shelf. That it can be read (or misread) in different ways is a sign of real poetic skill on the author’s part. Margaret is right — the poem is both sharp and playful. I ought to explain that I do not attack “Meaning, Message, and Moral” in themselves, as they sometimes have a place in a good poem, mostly as armature and decor. What I object to is the unconscious tendency on the part of many poets to think of poetry as nothing but a means of communication like a telegraph or an e-mail account, which can be used to hector, sermonize, and proselytize for “the greater good.” Poems have to be a source of literary pleasure, first and foremost. I’ve just submitted an essay on this subject to Evan Mantyk. It’s called “The Cultured Hedonist,” and in it I try to make the case for poetry as an independent, sui generis art form that is not subject to non-aesthetic mandates. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 6, 2023 Joe, thank you for this. These words speak to me loudly and clearly: “Poems have to be a source of literary pleasure, first and foremost.” I couldn’t agree more! I am thoroughly looking forward to reading ‘The Cultured Hedonist’ – one of the wonders of being a member of this site is the educative aspect. I have learned more about poetry in these last four years than I’ve learned throughout my entire education, and it’s been fun! Reply
Norma Pain August 6, 2023 Such a pleasure to read these three poems Susan. I am saving them to chew over again and again. Thank you. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 6, 2023 Norma, it’s always lovely to hear from you. I’m thrilled you enjoyed these poems… and I’m over the moon you’re saving them to return to. There’s plenty to chew over. 😉 Thank you very much indeed! Reply
Mia August 6, 2023 Dear Susan, I also have enjoyed these poems very much. To add to the many interpretations the Faultless Rondel for some reason makes me think of Meghan Markle. Come to think of it so does She’s Not to Blame. But that also brings Jill Biden to mind. The Kyrielle , I think that’s the media, yes Lord have mercy. I have been studying all the outstanding poems on this site to improve my writing but find myself getting into discussions instead. Hopefully my interpretations aren’t completely hopeless. Are they? Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 6, 2023 Mia, I’m so glad you enjoyed the poems. Your personal take on each one of them is wonderful. That’s what’s so great about writing poetry that leaves room for the reader’s interpretation. Every reader brings something of themselves to the creation giving an extra dimension to the author’s words. Your take is superb. You are spot on every one of your choices, and I’m smiling in agreement. Mia, thank you! Reply
James Sale August 8, 2023 As always, wonderfully vivacious, Susan, and a literary and language treat: I am especially fond of the line, ‘The chunder of a blunderbuss’. That is great! Well done. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 10, 2023 James, thank you very much indeed! I’m glad you like that line… I wasn’t so sure, but now it has your seal of approval, I can rest at ease. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 10, 2023 I will admit to smiling when I wrote that line… thank you very much for your kind comment, Gregory. Reply
David Whippman August 12, 2023 Susan, thanks for these cleverly penned examples of old verse forms. I really enjoyed them, and you’ve inspired me to try the rondeau-type form myself. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant August 15, 2023 David, thank you! I thoroughly look forward to reading a rondeau-type form from your good self. Reply
