I “…seems to be the best train. Miss Ethel Winter of Department English will meet you at station and…” —from a letter addressed visiting speaker The subject chosen for tonight's discussion Is everywhere though often incomplete: when their basaltic banks become too steep most rivers use kind rapid Russian and so do children talking in sleep. My little helper magic lantern insert that slide let colored beam project my name or any such-like phantom Slavic characters upon screen. other way way. thank you. On mellow hills Greek as remember fashioned his alphabet from cranes flight arrows crossed sunset then night. Our simple skyline taste timber influence hives conifers reshaped borrowed birds. Yes Sylvia? “Why speak words When all we want is knowledge nicely browned?” Because hangs together—shape sound heather honey vessel content. Not only rainbows—every line bent skulls seeds good worlds are round like Russian verse our colossal vowels: those painted eggs glossy pitcher flowers swallow whole golden bumblebee shells hold thimble sea. Next question. “Is your prosody ours?” Well Emmy pentameter may seem foreign ears if it could not rouse limp iambus its pyrrhic dream. But close eyes listen line. melody unwinds middle word marvelously long serpentine: hear one beat but have also heard shadow another third touches gong fourth sighs. It makes very fascinating noise: opens slowly grayish rose pedagogic films ago. rhyme line's birthday know there certain customary twins tongues. For instance love automatically rhymes with blood nature liberty sadness distance humane everlasting prince mud moon multitude words sun song wind life death none. Beyond seas where lost scepter neighing dappled nouns soft participles coming down steps treading on leaves trailing rustling gowns liquid verbs ahla ili Aonian grottoes nights Altai black pools s water lilies. empty glass touched tinkling still now 'tis covered by hand dies. “Trees? Animals? Your favorite precious stone?” birch tree Cynthia fir Joan. Like small caterpillar thread heart keeps dangling leaf dead hanging still see slender white stands tiptoe wind firs beginning garden ends evening ember glowing through cinders. Among animals haunt bird bards regale night comes first: scores locutions mimicking throat render whistling bubbling bursting flutelike cuckoolike ghostlike note. lapidary epithets few deal universal rubies. angle glitter subdued riches lie concealed. We never liked jeweler's window rainy back Argus-eyed. live danger. False shadows turn track me pass and wearing beards disguised secret agents creep blot freshly written page read blotter looking glass. And dark under bedroom window until chill whirr shiver day presses starter warily they linger silently approach door ring bell memory run away. Let allude before spell broken Pushkin rocking coach lonely roads: he dozed awoke undid collar traveling cloak yawned listened driver's song. Amorphous sallow bushes called rakeety enormous clouds above an endless plain songline endlessly repeated smell grass leather rain. sob syncope (Nekrasov!) panting syllables climb climb obsessively repetitive rasping dearer some than rhyme. lovers meeting tangled garden dreaming mankind untrammeled life mingling longings moonlit trees hearts larger life. This passion expansion follow throughout poetry. mole lynx into sublime mutation soul. unneeded symbols consecrated escorted vaguely infantile path bare feet roads were always fated lead silence exile. Had more time tonight would unfold amazing story—neighuklúzhe nevynossímo—but go. What did say breath? spoke blind songbird hidden hat safe thumbs eggs broke gibus brimming yolk. must remind conclusion am followed everywhere space collapsible although bounty once dusty place Mora county (half town half desert dump mound mesquite) West Virginia (a muddy red road between orchard veil tepid rain) came sudden shudder something inhale see. Some uttered child slept on was shut. conjurer collects poor belongings— handkerchief rope double-bottomed rhymes cage You tell him passes detected. mystery remains intact. check forward smiling envelope. “How ‘delightful talk’ Russian?” ‘good night’?” Oh be: Bessónitza tvoy vzor oonýl i stráshen lubóv moyá otstóopnika prostée. (Insomnia stare dull ashen love forgive this apostasy.)