Cloud Racing in Arcadia

A Confounded letter about day dreaming and legends. This was written for someone who wanted words for the picture.

  

This was high cloud. Fascinating in ringing clear complexity. Rising in a King country beyond a poor wretched imagination. Bereft of where your heroes fought, loved, and fatefully betrayed, died.

This, a place of bardic birds plumaged with maps of the universe shining. Animals dappled with mapped continents of fur. Such pertinent parchments that can only be epic written.

This is fantasy lived, sung and poet described. This was a masterpiece of jewels, the soul of faithless vice. The dear death of belief and the rising of structured hope. A lack of true science and a complete golden account of Godlike death. This was the discovery of fire. The Golden Bough realized in its heroic name

Music rising across a skylark sky, pasture, dune and mountain anchored. Heroic worlds visualized in a small hermaphrodite pools and ancient inconsistent rocks. Plays before temples; satyr ringed and spirit vital. Masked and naked, furred and down layered. Labyrinths of golden string and old memories monsters. Pushing stone forever.

Imagine classic then what you can. See what you will in histories reflection. Play with your worlds as they are encountered whole. Use your games of love and fools to bewitch, to chime and to allow such reasons as may be. Write with it complete in the hope of scorning your wayward cares.

Beware only of correct fantasies for that way lies insufficient pleasure and sure pure pain

This was clear sound. Epic speech and hungry legend. This was oars through wine dark water. Faun dancing and musical afternoons. This was peace, formed, stated and enjoyed whole. This was the day of the King that died. This was hemlock used for execution and saved for posterity. This was the memory for the race. These were clouds racing.

Author's Note

The picture is mine and called Romance of Ages. Classical puzzles for you.

Reviews

[Jack...]

Ken, It is late on a Friday afternoon, my work day is almost ended and I find this to baffle me even more than I was born to be. I like this though, it is fun to read, but at the moment a focused mind has abandoned its home in my skull, so, upon mornings light, when I have taken my rest I will read this again and hope to find what is the hidden meaning.

[Ken Simm.]

I'm glad you read it anyway Jack. Thanks for liking it.

[Ruth]

A piece of prose that relates to the old style literature so very well, the imagery is mind blowing Ken, I stand (or sit) amazed :) Sheer brilliance, thrilling! :)

[Ken Simm.]

You are too kind to me Poppy. I humbly thank you.

[TL Boehm]

Animals dappled with mapped continents of fur. Such pertinent parchments that can only be epic written.
IF I could write I'd want to write like this.

[Ken Simm.]

I want to be like that when I grow up as well. Thank you so much for saying such wonderful things.

[Rogue]

Not to be contrary or anything...
-grin-
While you intended this piece to be about Socrates et al... You do realize this would also easily cover MacBeth? I admit, my thoughts focused more on the second than the first in the choices. Which put this in a more Medieval setting for me, rather than a golden Age of Enlightenment.
So, my perception becomes totally different than what you had envisioned as you wrote this. A most interesting thing, that. You supplied the words and my mind took them and ran off to it's own place this time. Power hungry Nobel who would be a Scottish King... Death by poison...
Not the journey you intended, yet I enjoyed it nonetheless. I've a dark mind, what can I say? :P

Exceptionally worded piece to match a beautiful picture. :)

[Ken Simm.]

I can see what you mean but never thought of Macbeth. I always think of him as a tragic idiot. Author of lot of his own misfortune. Thanks very much for reading and liking this dear friend.

[James Hanna-Magill]

Dear Ken

You have reviewed me before. Whether I have returned the favour or not properly I do not recall.

But I have looked at your profile and collected works before and thought 'Ah now here is an intellect to be conjured with!'

In pursuing your portfolio, I keep on tripping over pieces of Latin, as in:

'Vide cor tuum' and not 'meum'!

'a verbis ad verbera'

Your opening quote is of course already 'In arcadia ego' only for you to return to that whole notion in the title of this piece 'Cloud racing in Arcadia'

Before I go any further, I am struck by who the soul may be behind the words on the page. His life story. His educational origins.

To admit my own transgressions upfront, I read 'Modern and Mediaeval Languages' at Jesus College Cambridge, their quaint way of putting in my case, Ancient Greek, Latin and French.'

But I assure you that between 23 and my now 53 (just the odd 30 year gap) I have forgotten more than I ever knew in study.

It intrigues me that not only did I win a Scholarship to Jesus, but I also won the prize for the highest marks in Greek and Latin at A level in Northern Ireland way back when.

But do you know what?

I can no longer decipher Greek, nor is my memory still chock full of Classical allusions.

By contrast in the past before Latin and Ancient Greek exams, I used to pack into my memory some 800 lifts from classical writers so that in performing and translating English into Ancient Greek or Latin Prose, I could use a lift from an historic writer in that language, down to the chapter, verse and line!

I fear one of the reasons for the memory loss is not just the passage of time, it is also loss of cognition as a result of my bipolar disorder which may extend to long or short term memory loss.

Alternatively it may be that I am old and less sharp than once I was as a child.

This by way of telling you who your reader is before I review the writer.

The only extras I might impart are that I ended up as Finance Director of a FTSE 100 company before falling flat on my face with a nervous break down and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

As a linguist at heart, talk about fitting a square peg into a round hole!

Ken this to position for you me as reader before this reader gives his review.

Now how on earth to start with this elaborate piece of writing? I could start by approaching it from endless angles. I fear in the end we both must take it as it comes and a series of perhaps even disjointed reflections on the piece.

Lets start with this. How you address your reader. Therefore your intention in posting it.

'A Confounded letter about day dreaming and legends. This was written for someone who wanted words for the picture.'

And then more to the point, your author's note:

'The picture is mine and called Romance of Ages. Classical puzzles for you'.

What does that tell me?

Two things:

1) You love graphic art as much as writing - same here - you should see my art collection; and
2) You deliberately set out to challenge your reader by laying down a scent as if asking the reader to find its references to the classics.

Well consider this bloodhound on the loose, albeit his sense of smell is as much clouded as your arcadia through passage of time as my brain has gone to rot!

Let me try first with a brain (the one remaining cell however addled) to have a poke at your classical references.

First broad scope.

Here you put me back in the Cambridge exam room where I waxed lyrically over Virgil's Eclogues before resuming my place in the same exam room on another day, writing a masterpiece essay on Theocritus' Idylls.

Funny Ken. I knew so much about it all then and I would have sniffed all your classical allusions very swiftly.

However I am not that sharp anymore.

Staying broadly on the classical theme.

It consistently amazes me that authors throughout the ages have merely sought to follow a generic theme.

Let me just remind you, not that you need reminding of the antecedents and forbears:

Homer, Virgil, Dante, Milton, James Joyce ... and who now? You?

There is something of the literary here which says if a story is worth writing (or transmitted vocally and by tradition) once, it is worth telling again.

Picking and lifting:

* You use the word 'epic' throughout which pins the reader into the world of the classical

* 'Discovery of fire' - Prometheus

* 'Golden Bough' - Virgil's Aeneid Book VI

* 'Heroic' much as like 'Epic'

* 'Hermaphrodite pools' - Hermaphroditus, Naiads, Pool of Salmacis, Artemis

* ' Labyrinth' - Minotaur, Daedalus, Knossos, Herodotus, Pliny, Theseus

* 'This was oars through wine dark water' - Homer's Odyssey, Calypso

I think that about covers the allusions I can see with a rather dulled brain cell.

In terms of 10 out of 10, perhaps you might allow me 1 out of 10 for my trying to solve your puzzle!

You might have gathered already that I haven't even written my first paragraph on this piece and my review is endlessly long already without even having started.

I think and then write long and were I not too careful, I would be embarking on my next novel were I to cover the ground you cover so subtly here.

I think I am going to have to do this review in more than one session.

Call it the obsessive compulsive in the bipolar me, the perfectionist who wants to capture the whole picture and express it clearly.

So there must inevitably be a Part 2 if not 3 to this review which extends to examining meaning, style, allusion, mode of expression and simply art - ars gratia artis? etc

Well by now you see that however classical your piece, I am already demonstrating the classic symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Time to take a break and come back to this piece in due course.

But if you want a heads up as only the Americans can quite so aptly put it?

A remarkable piece of writing, which can only distinguish itself from the crowd.

There is more I would like to know about Ken Simms' educational background.

I see a commonality here.

I wonder.

But that is for another day.

My second to third review of this piece.

Thank you for all the personal kindness you have shown me.

Your friend


James Hanna-Magill

[Ken Simm.]

James I cannot thank you enough for your complete and erudite review. such a refreshing change.
read moreJames I cannot thank you enough for your complete and erudite review. such a refreshing change.
You ask about my background. I am and was trained as an Artist. I was also a teacher for 30 years. So my classical training if it could be said to be is through my reading and Art History. So for instance, Arcadia was discovered originally through Poussin rather than in the truest sense. Although later I did come to read the classics for my own pleasure and education. Obscurity is my love. I have said before in many explainations I don't really mind how a viewer/reader comes upon my art. I do try to lay down a number of pathways. Some I hope obvious, some I hope obscure.
The reason for this work was to provide words for my photograph. I am only really struck by why I have produced something in retrospect. In post mortem as it were. I read that, I saw that, I heard that reference.
I also don't honestly see any difference between the branches, if you can call them that, of my art. Other than the visual works mainly in space, the written is mainly temporal.
But to assist. You are quite correct with all the allusions. But maybe not with the sources in the first place. I was a hippy art student, so Hermaphorditus came first of all from a Song by the early Genesis called The Fountain of Salamcis.
The Golden Bough came through Frazers seminal work, (the abridged version).
I was walking through my home town one day when a voice said quite clearly to me "Read Ulysses". The only refernce I knew then, (at 17) was Homer so I went to the library and read him. It was only later that I realised it was Joyce that was spoken of, (I then devoured him).
You mention your disabilty. I too have been diagnosed with Clinical Depression, although I am not Bipolar. And I too must know a thing until I know it. This is where my obsession with detailed obscurity comes from so I do understand somewhat. I also love puzzles as well.
You will see that you are the only one who took up my challenge with this, one of my favourite pieces. I sincerly hope you do return to it.
Thank you once more my dear friend. Ken. My website adress is at the top of my profile if you want to see some more of my visual pieces.

[Ken Simm.]

There are a couple of extra allusions. The Hemlock used for execution of Socrates. The use of Clouds, the play by Aristophanes about Socrates.
Various sprites, fauns etc from classical greek mythology and various playwrights. I was listening to Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune when I wrote this. So Debussy and Nijinsky come into it also by the back door.
You ask about my education.. I come from a mining and mill family in Lancashire and was the first and only of my family to gain his degree; which is in Fine Art. My post grad studies are all educationally based.
The Confounded Letters are words to myself on my history, my feelings ,my loves and my memories. My education, my beliefs and my heroes.
I have painted since I was five, which is about the time I started reading seriously. I am also a photographer which is just another form of drawing. Which in itself is learning how to use your eyes. I have not stopped since. That is in 53 years. I do cycles of paintings as I do cycles of writing.

[James Hanna-Magill]

Dear Ken

How fascinating!

Genuinely I find your access point to all of this, your background as interesting as I do your condition.

But Ken let's face it, I am rather more concerned or caring about you as an individual than any of that.

I think in a way you go to meet my rule.

Taking the specific of 'In arcadia ego' just as an example - you can start with its origins or you can track a point it at a time such as Poussin and le Louvre.

It's all a continuum.

In much way as James Joyce and taking up the challenge of Homer in Ulysses.

I am thinking that post Homer, Virgil, Dante, Milton and Joyce I am duty bound to tell the same tale all over again in the Magill version.

I think I may call it?

... Let's see ...

I shall have to think of a title.

You take care in the meantime

James

[Ken Simm.]

Wasn't it the Sufi masters who said there are only seven (?) jokes?

[James Hanna-Magill]

Dear Kenn

Probably. There is a book worth reading on humour way back when written by Henri Bergson, called 'Le Rire' which proposes various types and kinds of laughter, which might be seven.

And don't they always say there are only seven types of story that can be written.

I note your extra references to Socrates and interest in art and photography.

What a multi-talented person you are!

I shall be back in due course to review more of this and others in your portfolio.

I like intellectual challenges and you do an excellent job is presenting them with very winsome and intelligent writing.

Take care in the meantime

Your friend

James

[LA Lorena]

You have a unique and uncanny ability to transport your readers to another time, place and dimension. These journeys you take us on are always steeped in mysticism and lore, a learning experience painted with vivid words and brush strokes artfully executed. You rock!

[Ken Simm.]

Just showing off really. Thank you so much my friend for leaving such flattering words.

[Frieda P]

Oh my I have no words, I was magically transported to this place...


Use your games of love and fools to bewitch, to chime and to allow such reasons as may be. Write with it complete in the hope of scorning your wayward cares.

Lovely photo, lovelier imagery....can't think of a better word to describe, is there one better?

'This was oars through wine dark water'

Fearless and daring, I adore this one!

[Larry Dyson]

Thickly draped tapistry Sir.(revisited again)

[Ken Simm.]

You are too kind my friend. Thank you.

[r. f. jordan]

this writing has stillness, depth, and mysticism, just like the picture accompanying it. i most appreciate the "oars through wine dark water" image. thank you for sharing your talent with us on this site.

[MOON]

Stunning words complimenting a stunning picture. Every word so carefully placed to describe a memorable place... See what you will in histories reflection, lovely.