In case you don’t know, the entire House of Commons in Great Britain is up for election, re-election, or recall today. Yes, this includes Tony Blair. A few weeks ago, Mr. Blair called for a general election, meaning that every member of the lower house of Parliament had six weeks or so to get his or her act together, and convince people to get out and vote.
This article from the New York Times has more: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/05/international/europe/05britain.html?th&emc=th
One way or another, the election is likely to change Britain’s stance on the war in Iraq. If Labour loses (a possibility, no matter how indistinct), Britain may very well withdraw from Basra and other strongholds completely. At the very least, Labour may have to modify its position on Iraqi questions.
Some Americans may vaguely recall that three days before the Spanish elections, a series of bombs on a Spanish train went off, killing many working-class commuters during rush hour. The party of then-President Anzar lost the election, and Spain pulled its fairly significant troop contingent out of Iraq.
Great Britain — we hope your election goes more smoothly, and truly expresses your political desires. May your Underground and BritRail be bomb-free today, and may your House of Commons be raucous, debate-filled and full of surprises.
Unlike, say, the U.S. Senate.
yeh, ack. weird, huh?
it’s good of you to wish the best, tho’, you know. people do some far-out bullshit these days. we can all use every ounce of well-wishing & good intention. i wonder a lot, if we all spent more time wihing well…
Ack. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. 🙁
Re: this is for “Argonautica”….
Hi, Andrew
My recollection of the exact story not being the greatest, here are some thoughts
For time frame, this is Medea’s reflection after she exacts her “revenge” on Jason…. i.e., the poison bridal gown for the woman he marries, and the killing of her two sons….
As far as “setting”, well, if she was in Colchis at the time Jason found her, and stayed there after he left, then, yes this was in Colchis….
As I was re-writing this (the original was written when I was eighteen), I thought of the tone of her voice as regretful, perhaps even defeated. She wants Jason to come back, obviously, that was the intent of the last few lines of the poem — but I felt that perhaps part of the reason she wanted this the same way they say a serial killer “wants” to be caught by the police.
That is why in her fantasy/delusion at the end of the poem, he is dressed as a victorious warrior — because she knows her revenge was futile and that history will make him the hero.
That is perhaps the true tragedy of the story, at least for me.
I kind of took a psychological rather than a historical approach. Would appreciate some of your classical knowledge to flesh out the “scene”.
Thanks for reading
-C
May your Underground and BritRail be bomb-free today, and may your House of Commons be raucous, debate-filled and full of surprises.
oh, Honey – read Kyria () this morning – pipe bomb in the consulate in NYC this morning.
May your Underground and BritRail be bomb-free today, and may your House of Commons be raucous, debate-filled and full of surprises.
oh, Honey – read Kyria () this morning – pipe bomb in the consulate in NYC this morning.
Ack. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. 🙁
yeh, ack. weird, huh?
it’s good of you to wish the best, tho’, you know. people do some far-out bullshit these days. we can all use every ounce of well-wishing & good intention. i wonder a lot, if we all spent more time wihing well…
may your House of Commons be raucous, debate-filled and full of surprises.
That’d make a fabulous toast!
may your House of Commons be raucous, debate-filled and full of surprises.
That’d make a fabulous toast!
Re: this is for “Argonautica”….
Hi Chris.
I don’t yet know if I’m going to be able to work this into the larger framework of Argonautica — mostly because I haven’t had a chance to work on it much in a few days.
I think the piece itself is excellent, but I don’t have a clear sense yet of where it fits into the framework of the story. Is Medea talking to her father? Is she talking to Jason? Is this when she has just fallen in love? Or when she is falling out of love with Jason? Does it take place in Colchis? Does it take place in Icolus?
These are the things I’m wrestling with, and I’m not certain how to respond yet. Do you have a clear sense of where the piece might fit?
I’ve got to say, you probably knew more about our elections than I do about yours. I know that Tony has a chance to win another term, but he has to be elected first by his district, and then by his party as P.M. Not so much of a winner-take-all system as ours.
Have a gret election day, Adders.
not about elections this is for that “Argonautica” piece….
Andrew
I posted my Medea piece, not sure if you got a chance to read it…. so here it is if you are interested…. sorry that I don’t know how to “cut” with LJ, so I hope this doesn’t crash your page or anything like that!
Take care,
-C
Medea’s Lament
I have stood upon the parapets of Colchis
staring at the sea
oppressed by sun
caressed by rain
I watch thunderbolts savage the sky
The stone of this castle wall
cuts my clutching hand
I am an eagle with its talons
sunk into armored flesh
Though my skin shivers from the wind
I am molten chaos at the core
And yet they call Poseidon
Earth-Shaker!
The moon fills my vision
Cold and hard and blade-bright
I curse the traitorous goddess who
guided your ship to my shore
Where is the Lady I served so long and so well?
around my shoulders I feel only empty shadows
and I cannot hear her voice in the wind
I can only see the sunset
Wash bridal sails with blood
But I remember the night
I called to the Queen of Hades
That spring maiden snatched into her dark grave
I screamed and she remembered her terror
And took pity and worked a curse for me
And I watched as Jason’s princess
Was laid in golden splendor
Upon her purple bier
But now the poison tears no longer burn
I only wonder why
I did not let you perish
Under the steely teeth of the dragon’s brood
I only wonder how
Did you slip from this harbor, your ship not torn asunder
By wind and sea and a goddess’ wrath?
And if I had known what you would do
Would I myself not draw the blade
Across the throat where once my kisses burned?
Better that, better still to open my own throat
Than to spill my children’s blood
In libation to empty skies
I will never be free of these dark deeds
Not in waking nor in dreams
And so I walk these parapets, watching and waiting
through ceaseless wind and stinging spray
But wait-is that a ship?
Glorious sails of victory gleaming white
And is that you at her helm,
Brass-armored, golden-haired
As radiant and rapacious as Apollo?
For one moment my heart leaps
in terrible ecstasy
Then I see
It is only a merchant’s barge
And you,
But the glint of sunlight
On the sea
Revised 5/3/2005
not about elections this is for that “Argonautica” piece….
Andrew
I posted my Medea piece, not sure if you got a chance to read it…. so here it is if you are interested…. sorry that I don’t know how to “cut” with LJ, so I hope this doesn’t crash your page or anything like that!
Take care,
-C
Medea’s Lament
I have stood upon the parapets of Colchis
staring at the sea
oppressed by sun
caressed by rain
I watch thunderbolts savage the sky
The stone of this castle wall
cuts my clutching hand
I am an eagle with its talons
sunk into armored flesh
Though my skin shivers from the wind
I am molten chaos at the core
And yet they call Poseidon
Earth-Shaker!
The moon fills my vision
Cold and hard and blade-bright
I curse the traitorous goddess who
guided your ship to my shore
Where is the Lady I served so long and so well?
around my shoulders I feel only empty shadows
and I cannot hear her voice in the wind
I can only see the sunset
Wash bridal sails with blood
But I remember the night
I called to the Queen of Hades
That spring maiden snatched into her dark grave
I screamed and she remembered her terror
And took pity and worked a curse for me
And I watched as Jason’s princess
Was laid in golden splendor
Upon her purple bier
But now the poison tears no longer burn
I only wonder why
I did not let you perish
Under the steely teeth of the dragon’s brood
I only wonder how
Did you slip from this harbor, your ship not torn asunder
By wind and sea and a goddess’ wrath?
And if I had known what you would do
Would I myself not draw the blade
Across the throat where once my kisses burned?
Better that, better still to open my own throat
Than to spill my children’s blood
In libation to empty skies
I will never be free of these dark deeds
Not in waking nor in dreams
And so I walk these parapets, watching and waiting
through ceaseless wind and stinging spray
But wait-is that a ship?
Glorious sails of victory gleaming white
And is that you at her helm,
Brass-armored, golden-haired
As radiant and rapacious as Apollo?
For one moment my heart leaps
in terrible ecstasy
Then I see
It is only a merchant’s barge
And you,
But the glint of sunlight
On the sea
Revised 5/3/2005
Re: this is for “Argonautica”….
Hi Chris.
I don’t yet know if I’m going to be able to work this into the larger framework of Argonautica — mostly because I haven’t had a chance to work on it much in a few days.
I think the piece itself is excellent, but I don’t have a clear sense yet of where it fits into the framework of the story. Is Medea talking to her father? Is she talking to Jason? Is this when she has just fallen in love? Or when she is falling out of love with Jason? Does it take place in Colchis? Does it take place in Icolus?
These are the things I’m wrestling with, and I’m not certain how to respond yet. Do you have a clear sense of where the piece might fit?
Re: this is for “Argonautica”….
Hi, Andrew
My recollection of the exact story not being the greatest, here are some thoughts
For time frame, this is Medea’s reflection after she exacts her “revenge” on Jason…. i.e., the poison bridal gown for the woman he marries, and the killing of her two sons….
As far as “setting”, well, if she was in Colchis at the time Jason found her, and stayed there after he left, then, yes this was in Colchis….
As I was re-writing this (the original was written when I was eighteen), I thought of the tone of her voice as regretful, perhaps even defeated. She wants Jason to come back, obviously, that was the intent of the last few lines of the poem — but I felt that perhaps part of the reason she wanted this the same way they say a serial killer “wants” to be caught by the police.
That is why in her fantasy/delusion at the end of the poem, he is dressed as a victorious warrior — because she knows her revenge was futile and that history will make him the hero.
That is perhaps the true tragedy of the story, at least for me.
I kind of took a psychological rather than a historical approach. Would appreciate some of your classical knowledge to flesh out the “scene”.
Thanks for reading
-C
First American I’ve seen even mention our elections.
I was getting quite depressed about it…
What do you mean?
Hurrah! You’re the first. 🙂
Hurrah! You’re the first. 🙂
What do you mean?
First American I’ve seen even mention our elections.
I was getting quite depressed about it…
I’ve got to say, you probably knew more about our elections than I do about yours. I know that Tony has a chance to win another term, but he has to be elected first by his district, and then by his party as P.M. Not so much of a winner-take-all system as ours.
Have a gret election day, Adders.