Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Death and daffodils


They made their appearance today, the daffodils. (not in my yard, but mine are surely on their way).
So here I post again the poem I posted last year on April 2 in honor of my happiness to see them.
Perhaps tomorrow I shall add a photo (Bob still has my digital so I nipped this off the net. I mean nicked!)

by William Wordsworth

I Wandered Lonely

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee.
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed-and gazed but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Last year for some reason, as I was driving him to school in the morning, I mentioned to my son that I want him to read this at my funeral. He said he would not be going. I said I wasn't planning on dying for a great long time and that he would change his mind by then. He said no he wouldn't. I said when they put me in the ground all I ask is that you be there and read this darn poem. Him- "oh no, they won't be putting you in the ground". Me- "No?" He- "No" Me -"Well honestly I'm not so keen on going into the ground. Where shall I be going instead?" He- "Oh, I'm going to put you in a cardboard box and catapult you into the sky" Me- "Okay, well then you WILL BE THERE and you can read the poem as I'm launched. I think some sort of rocket might be better though. You know so I get more air, and don't just come crashing right back down on you" He- "No I wont be there doing it, I'll have other people do it instead" Me- "okay so you can recite the poem into a tape recorder and then have THEM play it". So anyway I hope we are clear on that. I think I should give him a good 10 years before I remind him.

It is odd that I love the poem so, for I like, but am not very fond of daffodils. There are many flowers that I do love, but they have not such a poem.

Cheese and I rented Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium last week. It was his idea, and not at all what either of us expected, that said, I really really really liked this movie. Somehow death and daffodils just made me think of it. Yes indeed I know this heart. I can never get a quote right, but one from the movie went something like this. She- "What do you see when you look at me? Do you see a sparkle?" He- "A sparkle?" She-" Yes, do you see anything in me that has a spark? Like do you see anything that seems reflective of something greater?".
Oh I know those are not the right words, but you can get a sense of it, from the words I could find.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh, I love that poem - takes me back years!

Hmm, Cheese has very firm views, doesn't he? Well, there's plenty of time yet for mind changing. Must say, I rather like the idea of being catapulted into the air rather than being put into the ground. I can't remember who it was who had his cremated remains catapulted into the air - someone relatively famous I think and not that long ago - I'm not sure it worked though and everyone underneath was showered in "dust"!

Taffiny said...

Vanilla,

:)

Oh dear! Guess Cheese is right then not to attend, or else "I'll always take a little part of you with me" will really be true (as in one's clothes, in one's lungs). Actually I don't like any of the options, cremation, the ground, tucked into a stone wall. I wish to dematerialize, but not in a nuclear bomb type of way, rather in a spiritual version of "beam me up Scottie".

strugglingwriter said...

Great poem. Our daffodils are about 1 to 2 inches out of the ground right now.

My parents watched "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" and enjoyed it. We haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

That conversation with your son is too funny. For some reason I pictures not ashes being catapulted into the sky, but rather a huge coffin shot out of a cannon. I'm weird.

Paul

Taffiny said...

Paul,

Oh no not at all weird, I assure you my son and I did not picture ashes, or a coffin, but rather him shoving my body (I know in reality a body would be stiff, but we don't bother with that sort of reality thing) into a cardboard box, you know center of body down inside, and arms, legs and head trailing over sides, and lauching me thus, with parts flapping about in the wind.

Oh wait, a coffin in a canon? You are weird. We clearly are weird as well. I do think however that your way would work better (your weirdness is more aerodynamic). That said of course Vanilla's way with the ashes would actually work best.

Anonymous said...

It is a lovely poem and what a great post, Taffiny. There is a autumn element to the Wordsworth's poem, isn't there, in wonderful contrast to the spring's "golden daffodils."

The dialogue with your son was absolutely brilliant. I love the idea of a child who puts you "in a cardboard box and catapult you into the sky." And for some reason, I loved the idea of you mentioning a tape recorder. Odd and wondeful.

Happy Spring.

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Love that poem! And I love the convo with your son. Smart kid ;)

Mediterranean Views said...

Diddo on all the comments about your conversation with your son! I iamgined a coffin shaped box, maybe like one a fridge is deliverd in, in a huge sling shot like catapult.
Someone mentioned this poem to me the other day and felt a bit non-cultured that I had never read it. Thank you for "culturing" me up.
I quite like the part about the inner eye and how you can make yourself joyful by recalling those special things in quiet moments.
Amy

Vesper said...

Such beautiful poem...

But I also liked the dialogue with your son!!!

And the quote from the movie - yes, something to think of and remember...

Taffiny said...

Oh goodness people stopped by
:)

Witnessing,
Happy Spring David.
I am glad you felt it the way I did, I was worried it might seem here like a dark thing to talk about, but really there was an odd playfullness in the conversation.

Bleeding E, (wait no I can't call you that)

Hi. Thanks, indeed he is. Nice to see you. I need to go visit your blog, but you always have so much going on there, I can't keep up.

Med Views,

Yeah, I like those lines in the poem too.
I am greatly lacking in culture. About a year and a half ago, I was making my son read poems out loud (because of speech troubles) and this was in the book, poor child I made him read this one every day. Something extremely lovely about his sweet child's voice speaking the words. But I don't much know any other poems. And I don't tend to remember stuff, from all my art history classes I should have great knowledge of art/artisits, but my mind is muddy (I can only recall that I once knew something about this or that).

Vesper,

Thanks.
I really liked that line from the movie too, and identify with that hope.