tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post7521153470575572511..comments2023-12-27T22:26:20.552-05:00Comments on synch-ro-ni-zing: Theodore Roethke lives on, but Morrill Hall will notRuthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-20708508687361663732012-06-03T23:47:47.560-04:002012-06-03T23:47:47.560-04:00So many things I want to comment on here Ruth but ...So many things I want to comment on here Ruth but I will leave it just by letting you know I loved every single bit of it. Thank you for making me so much closer to Roethke. I adore that your school has teapots for teas with professors and the poetry graffiti:)GailOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09556665956317683667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-46633932867235178812012-06-01T22:09:39.437-04:002012-06-01T22:09:39.437-04:00Oh Ruth, I'm only half way through this post (...Oh Ruth, I'm only half way through this post (not even) and I'm captivated. THAT teaches me to stay away so long :) I will be back, to read and click on all the links. I'm away for a weekend with my artist daughter (she will be painting plein air at a lavender harvest festival and I will be watching (and taking photos). Up with the dawn, and must get to bed....<br /><br />I love your photography here and all the wonderful insight and history. I can just imagine you walking back from the wonderful new building, crying.Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00007201357693227614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-74871799498729305052012-05-29T10:36:14.947-04:002012-05-29T10:36:14.947-04:00Surely I can't be the only one who sees grandp...Surely I can't be the only one who sees grandpa (Carl) Hart in those pictures of Roethke!Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03188565674547484741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-74844358670360706982012-05-28T18:24:47.807-04:002012-05-28T18:24:47.807-04:00I have nothing to add to what you have written or ...I have nothing to add to what you have written or what has already been said in the comments, but I just wanted to say that I really appreciated this post! There is so much in it … and probably also a lot you!PeterParishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09694538476960957295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-22845840885127798322012-05-28T09:51:29.999-04:002012-05-28T09:51:29.999-04:00Ruthie,
Your Morrill Hall images are highly evoca...Ruthie,<br /><br />Your Morrill Hall images are highly evocative for me, with Philosophy classes there as an undergraduate in the early 60's and religious studies as a graduate student in the 70's. <br /><br />I'm sorry to see this structure go - the East Circle without it will seem very strange.<br /><br />Thank you for your little history and for some good memories.Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16749338478275015984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-5821622498113699022012-05-28T09:08:55.979-04:002012-05-28T09:08:55.979-04:00ruth, i wonder what it is that you have truly arti...ruth, i wonder what it is that you have truly articulated here. i began crying very early on and have not stopped. you have drawn the perimeter around transience and i weep, not for the loss, but for the temporary gains whose roots grow not only toward the past, but toward the future as well. diane wakowski at her window. my god, what must she have felt on her writing career, on her life, on that moment, each one before, each one to come and all of you? i can't begin to imagine. and the old building itself. holy holy. i wonder if a building is much the same as an animal, without the ability to know time or i, but existing nonetheless with a sure role. i am sorry for the loss of all of it. what incredible shots of the hallway and light. i grieve that it will go but our grief is always a celebration for what is.<br /><br />this weekend i went camping by myself in killarney. what a timeless place, animals spilling from her lap. i went into the local store very early sunday morning to buy a coffee. there was a blank girl behind an oak counter. oh, it was a gorgeous counter, such craftsmanship and how many years of being touched? i bought my coffee and gasped about it. she took two dollars indifferently. i thought, oh, this counter deserves to be loved. but these things are things, are they not, the shadows of those who live around them, not the things of value themselves really, but those things we attribute value to, who in some way flash our essence, our existence back toward the world: mirrors. <br /><br />a very wonderful post, ruth. roethke's madness and passion for life underscored by impermanence, what could be more perfect?<br /><br />xo<br />erinerinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16636371927224076866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-32250176047174636712012-05-28T07:39:31.975-04:002012-05-28T07:39:31.975-04:00I don't know where to start either, Ruth!
I L...I don't know where to start either, Ruth!<br /><br />I LOVE how you have paid tribute so fully to this poet and your Hall, weaving them both together as one.<br /><br />I thought of David, the Psalmist, with all his highs and lows. I even thought of the psychiatric hospital in Ann Arbor where I worked my first year of marriage. I wonder if that's where Roethke stayed? We had so many learned patients there...who simply needed to get off the merry-go-round!<br /><br />I absolutely love this post and read every word of it. I can feel your attachment to this man and understand why....Ginnie Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014434422568561157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-63392304511627230552012-05-27T21:56:54.535-04:002012-05-27T21:56:54.535-04:00Awed by the time you spent making this post. It is...Awed by the time you spent making this post. It is a piece of art. Love the photos of the hallwaysStratozhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10148600260976577216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-5954708325671600772012-05-27T13:28:31.467-04:002012-05-27T13:28:31.467-04:00I did not know the poet Roethke but will now find ...I did not know the poet Roethke but will now find a book with his poems. I liked the poems you placed on your post - the language is fresh, the style simple and the imagery powerful. I like the brief style of the sentences and the sharp words. I am pleased your included his poems. <br /> <br />Now about your hall – I am completely shocked that such an historic building in a university would be razed. It may not be so old but for the university it is and on top of that it is loved. My husband’s nephew, who is, I am not sure of the term, a structural engineer, says that many old buildings here can be strengthened, renovated and salvaged but the US philosophy is to save money regardless of the history. What a shame. I wonder what people would do in France if they decided to raze buildings at the universities of La Sorbonne in Paris or Oxford in England? Whenever one visits the Vieux Marais in Paris it can be observed that the old buildings are being reworked, not replaced. I am stunned and saddened too at the constant importance given to money versus the country’s heritage in the US. This is one aspect of this culture that really distresses me. But I also understand that it is difficult to change a country’s philosophy that has been prevalent for almost all its existence with the agreement of the majority. Disappointing though.Vagabondehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10774109692564954568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-69782277587693855552012-05-27T10:00:30.716-04:002012-05-27T10:00:30.716-04:00I don't know how late I am answering this post...I don't know how late I am answering this post; I came because Roethke appeared in your heading.<br /><br />I am sorry that your hall is being pulled down; perhaps making a 'happening' out of it will ease the loss a little. Having the chance to say goodbye in such a fashion will make the old girl come to life for you whenever you remember her.<br /><br />Roethke is my favourite poet in the English language. I read Meditation at Oyster River and The Waking (I wake to sleep and take my waking slow) at least once a week and they never fail to bring a lump to my throat. I read them out loud and at every opportunity, whenever I attend poetry group meetings, - perhaps because there is something Germanic about him, the depth of feeling, the melancholy, the suffering and yet the joy of living, observing, being part of the universe of spirit. If ever poetry was of the spirit, it is his.<br /><br />I wish I could be part of the world that speaks of him, reads him and celebrates his life. Think of me, please, when you visit the Society.Frikohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04277167831642088694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-6329073229296928912012-05-27T05:55:26.988-04:002012-05-27T05:55:26.988-04:00Arti, thank you for reading this lengthy post thro...<b>Arti</b>, thank you for reading this lengthy post through, that means a lot to me. Yes there is a lot here. When I learned about Roethke and his time at Michigan State, it seemed the right time to also share the literary graffiti; I had been waiting for just the right time. I, too, love that line that resonates for you. There is a belongingness, and also a loneliness, implicit.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-80974952491341036572012-05-27T05:52:35.113-04:002012-05-27T05:52:35.113-04:00musicwithinyou, I am touched that you were brought...<b>musicwithinyou</b>, I am touched that you were brought to tears by the writing on the walls. My friend Inge feels we should always write on walls in our working and living spaces. How inspired would we be if our conference rooms always had our most inspiring quotes on the walls surrounding us?Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-8174665457741021132012-05-27T05:50:09.929-04:002012-05-27T05:50:09.929-04:00Mystic Meandering, I read the first line of a poem...<b>Mystic Meandering</b>, I read the first line of a poem and try it on; if the first line does not draw me in, I do not read it. Sometimes I come back to it and try again, because the mood can be wrong one time and right another. So I am glad you found these many things in the post and poems to meander in. I love you seeing a masked man in the leaves on the building. And I love what you said about redefining madness. In fact I have a difficult time talking about "madness" because so many of the things we call "disorders" are simply <i>nobility of soul at odds with circumstance</i> and I think that socially we just don't know what to do with them. Thank you so much for reading and for your very connected responses.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-82912844219417580672012-05-26T21:38:38.094-04:002012-05-26T21:38:38.094-04:00You've shared so much on this post, I'm ov...You've shared so much on this post, I'm overwhelmed... by the poetics of Roethke, by your reminiscence of an old building and the memories that will come down with it. I'm moved to see all those quotes. And I love Roethke's poems here. As always, I don't know much but learn from what you've shared, so this is my intro to Roethke and I'd say, I must read more of him. I like the intellectual elements in his poems. I'd noted that line about madness too, and impressed about many other lines. But for some reasons this one resonates more: "I live between the heron and the wren." Thanks for a wonderful post, Ruth.Artihttp://rippleeffects.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-84175784399831604682012-05-26T15:06:53.708-04:002012-05-26T15:06:53.708-04:00This place,those walls, and floors that so many pe...This place,those walls, and floors that so many people walked. The writing on the walls brought me to tears. <br /><br />Theodore Roethke , I got to read about him in class. I love his work and I picked one of his poems for a class assignment.musicwithinyouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14024317988744024838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-84448770624775926902012-05-26T13:09:59.747-04:002012-05-26T13:09:59.747-04:00I feel a little like a duck out of water here, as ...I feel a little like a duck out of water here, as I'm not an intellectual "literary" type, but enjoy good writing and good poetry. I loved the tour and history of the old campus. The photo of the leaves on the side of the building looking like a masked man is delightful. I was deeply moved by Roethke's poem - "In A Dark Time." He sounds "enlightened" not "mad"! As if "enlightened" *through* his shadow aspects, through his suffering; something not addressed in most contemporary "non-dual spiritual circles" (that I'm aware of).<br /><br />"Which I is I?.....a fallen man I climb out of my fear. The mind enters itself, and God the mind. And one is One, free..." How profound, for one teetering on the edge of "madness." We need to redefine "madness"! :)Mystic Meanderinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746429719911446865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-18232456859558168002012-05-26T10:47:23.999-04:002012-05-26T10:47:23.999-04:00CG, I love our east coast roots, too, even if they...<b>CG</b>, I love our east coast roots, too, even if they aren't very old by European or Asian standards of civilization. Old things make me feel connected with something bigger, something and someone more than me.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-44213149170261552322012-05-26T10:45:52.131-04:002012-05-26T10:45:52.131-04:00Shari, I appreciate your reading this post through...<b>Shari</b>, I appreciate your reading this post through, and especially for the connection you have with the poet's struggles with depression because of your son. The more we openly speak of mental disorders the more we will come to understand those of our loved ones, and ourselves, who suffer through them. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-81220854618792962292012-05-26T09:47:05.675-04:002012-05-26T09:47:05.675-04:00I think one of the reasons my SoCal soul loves the...I think one of the reasons my SoCal soul loves the East Coast is the preservation of antiquity. I did not grow up with that in LA. The old bldgs & bridges & parks knock my socks off each time I see them. I'm always renewed.California Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12582691517303132274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-9000696104578425632012-05-26T08:32:05.743-04:002012-05-26T08:32:05.743-04:00Thanks to your post, I feel as if I have a connect...Thanks to your post, I feel as if I have a connection with an old building on a campus I never visited and with the people who lived and worked inside. The references to the professor/poet were fascinating especially since my son is bipolar, too. I love the pictures of the quotations on the walls and the mindset that asks permission to deface an old building even as it waits demolition. The rose greenhouse poem is a perfect reference to the old building.Sharihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13842711799199331211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-86048840506446290612012-05-26T06:14:03.991-04:002012-05-26T06:14:03.991-04:00To The Broad, thank you for your enthusiastic resp...To <b>The Broad</b>, thank you for your enthusiastic response to this lengthy post. I'm especially gratified that you read all the Phillips lines, right down to that last chastening question.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-22230084405471092622012-05-26T06:01:57.297-04:002012-05-26T06:01:57.297-04:00Welcome, Yin, and thank you for reading. I am most...Welcome, <b>Yin</b>, and thank you for reading. I am most glad what I've shared here connected with you, getting your tuning fork humming, to borrow a friend's image.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-59927320618393078422012-05-26T05:55:31.991-04:002012-05-26T05:55:31.991-04:00Thanks, Maureen. I envy you these long decades of ...Thanks, <b>Maureen</b>. I envy you these long decades of companionship with Roethke you've shared, and I was glad to see you share his bio from poets.org at FB. It says there that he admired Emerson, among others, and I see that May 25 is also Emerson's birthday. Somehow I hope they were able to celebrate together.Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14204074161539605133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-65356473529334012682012-05-25T18:49:46.913-04:002012-05-25T18:49:46.913-04:00This post has been so richly rewarding for me. Old...This post has been so richly rewarding for me. Old buildings, the photographs and such wonderful poetry and the way you have combined it all into such a moving and exciting rapturous adventure of depths and the human heart and soul. That quote of Roethke's "Don't you know what poems like that cost" is utterly haunting. Thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into this...The Broadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04976467218216864644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21312708.post-85064886729612356182012-05-25T17:28:09.136-04:002012-05-25T17:28:09.136-04:00What a lovely, lingering post! All too full of sad...What a lovely, lingering post! All too full of sadness - but it chimes very much with me at the moment and I'm so pleased to discover Roethke too - thank you! :)Yinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16622821654346331140noreply@blogger.com