h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Late one night last year I had one of those moments when one suddenly looks at oneself from the outside and stands amazed.
For a variety of strange reasons I was not home in bed in Australia as I'd expected to be that week, but sitting in a lamp-lit hostel room in Reykjavik, translating the lyrics of a brand-new Sigur Ros CD with an Icelandic dictionary I’d borrowed from my sleeping friend. Icelandic is an ancient and beautiful language, and although I couldn't understand the words at all I could see the way they flowed, the elegance of the alliteration and rhyme. As I searched eagerly through the dictionary the meaning of the verse began to reveal itself in slow and magical stages, word by word, with each word being at the same time an evocative revelation on its own and a new twist to the poetry as a whole, and I was so moved by it that I had tears rolling down my face.
Then I had one of those moments when one suddenly looks at oneself from the outside, and I thought - I don’t believe this ... I’m crying from reading the dictionary.

I don't think it's so strange. The written word is a powerful thing. Especially poetry, where everything is concentrated so much, and the subject matter tends to be so personal. I think well-written novels can also have the same effect. A powerful one for me is "Dawn" by Eli Wiesel.

I think that writing poetry can give a similar release - often lots of blubbering involved when I get to setting it all down in ink. (Depending on the poem, of course).

Mushy M.

Writing has that power. It's not just marks on paper- books, poems, songwords- they all have the potential to make people cry. The last time I cried at something like that was when I read "The Amber Spyglass" by Phillip Pullman. Everyone should read that book.

I guess good poetry should be able to give that reaction. Poetry never invokes any emotions in me though.

I did want to cry when I read the icelandic sagas, but only because they were so bloody awful.

Poetry never invokes emotions in you!!??!!

Not even little emotions?
Maybe you're not reading the right poetry......It's enough to make me cry!

Mushy M.

Yeah, I haven't read any poetry that has said anything to me.

Ever read any by Seamus Heaney? He writes about ordinary things, (rather than pretty flowers etc.) which is why I like his poetry.