Speaker 1 0:02 This is Yale Reports a weekly broadcast review presented by Yale University. Robert Penn Warren, professor emeritus of English at Yale is the only writer ever to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for both fiction and poetry. A distinguished editor and critic as well as writer and teacher, Mr. Warren received the National Medal for Literature in 1970. At that time, he called for any kind of poetry that is real, for the disease of our time is the sense of being cut off from reality. At Yale recently, Mr. Warren read from his forthcoming book of poetry, an essay toward the human understanding. Today on Yale Reports, we hear excerpts from that reading, Mr. Warren.Mark Sumner 0:43 I'm going to read you this afternoon, some poems in the forthcoming book. It's a book which I regard as one poem, rather than a collection of poems. For the poem is individual in the book. They are composed, some early one as freestanding poems. Later on, I began to think of it as a book. Now that it's a fairly long book, with a poem broken by interjections they are called, which are poems too, at different stages along the way, indications of thematic structures, commentary about when things are about to be said. Now, I'm not going to read the whole book, of course, I'm going to read some samples along the way, starting with the first three or four however, in a ran and then draw in samples others as I go along the structure is a thematic structure but it has an overall kind of analogy in terms of recollecting materials, not always meaning that the book is called "An Essay Towards the Human Understanding" that the title of a book of poems does it.Mark Sumner 2:16 After I finish depart from this book, I read a few others from earlier in the first poem is called "The Nature of a Mirror", the sky has murdered in the eye and I have murder in my heart for I am only human we look each other, the sky and I we understand each other for the sources of summer had sighed I stand and wait what is awarded, that is a nightmare and I must tell you that soon now even before the change in daylight saving time the sun beyond the western ridge of black burnt times of life [inaudible] of rotten sharp teeth seeps lower, larger, more blank, redder than a mother's rage as though FDR had never run for office even, or the first vagina had not have the texture of dream, thus time is a mirror for which you stare. Injections one the need for reevaluation. Is this really me? Of course not. What time is only a mirror in the funhouse. You must reevaluate the whole question.Mark Sumner 3:44 Natural History. In the rain, the naked old father's backing he will get wet the rain is sparse but he cannot guide all the drop. He sings the song, but the language is strange to me. The mother is counting her money like mad in the sunshine like shovel her fingers fly. And there's something silly, astronomical her breath is sweet as blue violets and smiles wave like daffodils [inaudible] strong as a father tell how it lasts you understand? That is rather lengthy strange to me. That thy pluck all of the continents have the money to make it Oh, Mother, counts it has golden memories of love. [inaudible]. My only flight out of Kennedy had been canceled. As much as I hate to I must summon the police for their own good [inaudible]. They must learn to stay in their grave, that is what graves are for.Mark Sumner 5:02 For me to say in seconds, minutes along the way here, a poem called "Blow West Wind". I know I know that the evidence is lost and the last who might speak are dead blow west wind blow for the evidence Oh, is lost. And wind shakes the cedar, and O, I know how the kestrel hung over Wyoming, Breast reddened in sunset, and O, the cedar Shakes, and I know how cold Was the sweat on my father's mouth, dead. Blow, west wind, blow, shake the cedar, I know How once I, a boy, crouching at creekside, Watched, in the sunlight, a handful of water Drip, drip, from my hand. The drops - they were bright! But you believe nothing, the evidence lost. Rejected for it to be the title what you sometimes feel on your face at night. Out of mist, God's blind hand groped to find your face, the fingers will never rise your face, the fingers, that you wept with the tears of your eyes. God [inaudible] love you perhaps. The next main title is a sort of a [soothing] poem, a sort of a narrative poem in the form of several short ones put together. It's called Rattlesnake Country. And here is the first one. Arid that country and high anger of the sun on the mountains but one little patch of cool lawn, truck had brought rich loam, stonework held it in place like a shelf, at one side backed. By the length of the house porch at one end, by rockfall. Above that, the mesquite, wolf-waiting its turn will again come. Meanwhile, wicker chairs all day follow the shimmering shade of the lone cottonwood the way that time, sadly seeking to know its own nature follows the shadow on a sundial all day the sprinkler ejects its rainbow all day. The sky shivers white with heat, the lake, for its 15 miles of distance searches tight under the white sky. It is searched tight as a mystic drumhead, it glitters like neurosis. You think it may scream but nothing happens. Except that bit by bit. That mountain get heavier all afternoon. One day when some secret high drift of air comes eastward over the lake ash gray sifts minutely down on our lunch time ice cream, which is vanilla and white there is a forest fire on Mount Ti Po Ki, which is at the western end of the lake over there. If after lunch at God's hottest hour, you make love, flesh, in that sweat drench, slides on flesh slicker than grease to grip is difficult. At drink time the sun over Ti Po Ki sets lopsided and redder than blood or bruised cinnabar because of the smoke there. Later, if there is no moon you can see the red eyes of fire wink at you from the black mass that is the mountain. At night in the dark room not able to sleep you may take the red eyes of fire that are winking for blackness you may as I once did rise up and go from the house. But when I got out the moon had emerged from cloud and I entered the lake swam miles out toward the moonset. Motionless awash metaphysically undone in that silvered and unbreathing medium and beyond prayer or desire saw the moon slow, swag down like an old woman's belly going back to the house I gave the now dark lawn a wide berth. At night the rattlers come out from the rock fall they lie on the damp grass for coolness.Mark Sumner 9:49 I-yee and they cry on the mountain and waking at dawn streak. I hear it high on the mountain I hear it for there snow water, snow long gone yet seeps down to green the edges and enclaves of forest with a thin passurage. The wranglers are driving our horses down long before daylight, plunging through the pine-gloom, and in their joy cry out i-yee. We ride this morning and now fumbling in shadow for Levi's, pulling my boots on I hear that thin cry of joy from the mountain. And what I have literally seen, I now in my mind see as I will years later, see it, the horseman plunge through the pine gloom, leaping the dead fall I-yee leaping the boulder I-yee and their faces flee flickering white through the shadow I-yee and before them down the trail and in dimness the riderless horses, like quicksilver spilled in dark glimmer and royal go pouring downward the wranglers cry out and nearer but before I go from my quick coffee-scald and to the corral I hear much nearer not far from my window a croupy gargle of laughter. It is laughing boy. Laughing boy is the name that my host and friend gives his yard hand laughing boy is Indian or half and has a harelip. Sometimes before words come, he utters a sound like croupy laughter when he utters that sound, his face twists. Hence his name. Laughing boy always wakes up at dawn for somebody has to make sure the rattlers are gone before the herds. raised my first twin baby brothers at the lawn laughing boy does not like rattler. He kicked the tin can of gasoline covered with [inaudible] on the outer ledge of the porch. The kitchen matches our [inaudible] this at the end toward the walk home. The idea is sneak four foot round the porch end that will be rattlers and rock fall and as one grips passed down this is the left hand and the famous renewal of the right thumb now there's not a light the plaintiff Tommy is good could get he makes the rock hold fade. The flame makes a sudden soft gaseous sound at the rock hole then dances there. The flame effects the sunlight as thick as blue [inaudible]. Laughing boy's beautiful coordination and sometimes you get the rattler you can be sure if the salt [inaudible] and the pale flame come before the sub button to your left here whenever laughing but really get the rock once you make that sound like poopy Alaska is faced with once I get when myself I see actually this dub button to get through pale flame down into Earth darkness. Son of a bitch I am yelling Can you see me I got him have gotten that dovetails on have a look at this guy. Already that earlier. This guy she was 25 and five as a flattened pole and under the main title of the sequence. What was is, is now was but is was but a word for wisdom. Its price come from that long lost some odd dead now. Two of the girls and young. Now after that pain and illusion, worthy endeavors and live off long dead. The third being the first governor in the next year. A price lover, a creature Audra cusan. He who likes portrait and had no ambition. And he tried out a new dawn. A new experience for her. But that was a twin. And she had a court for a cup of money. A second. A man of high social position. He kept his scorecard with her. Nothing passion this time just snobbery. After that only boredom forgot. Finally the whole business took a horse breeding which killed her time and even I hurried made unneeded money. And in the old news photo, I see you're putting her mouth to the jump. Or yet beautiful figure is poised forward, bent elbows knee tuck tight weight drops in the trending window attacking the face get through to the girl who died from the scalpel, the plastic surgeon as well as my essential incapacity for the husband my friend, would this time be totally cynical sure my disappointment would have heavy Joe's have to give that his time dead as the laughing boy he wound up in the pen 20 years just a murder Indian if only quickly for the delightful I can't remember the name of elders who came now the casual weekend. But remember what I remember. Like you not know what it all means. Unless the median he is in the compassionate tribe and you convert what now is wise back into what was good. I remember the need to enter the night flake and film out toward the distant moon set. You remember the blue Kevin's flick of white flame at the Rock home instant before I lifted up my eyes to the hive guy that she would be cut like this sometime usually at dawn I remember the cry on the mountain all I can do is offer you my testimony this is called folly on Royal Street before the role face of God locality all in what's the point of the year drunk drunk drunk amid the blaze of noon, irrevocably drunk totally accepts or at least almost. And in New Orleans once in French towns sprang up to go without storm warnings out very like a hurricane a comedian story of cash flow phishing emails and the old pain of fulfillment that is not fulfillment. So down Royal Street Sunday and the street blank is my bank account with two check bounced we see and M and I every man Jack Cane the cat great to the public out of Google video should indeed jaw clench flowed through just thought keeping this thin across the street are gone. We just shut that sudden and glittering vacancy rock on our heels. A cup of buckets italic head and garlic breath to sit through side of mouth and tanks packed bag and holster loads of either club Oh coffee ground, regarded with imperfect sympathy, I produce young humane which we feel God where we run on our heels at God height quite a blade in gravel and gravel of light light in that plane in moon blaze a goal kept screaming above the dune to the screen for justice against the face of God. Roll ringberg Glory like an ultra God's role faced head down and weak we mouth are moving for magnificent ways man without magnificent delusion delusion. But let bells we can all speak to people that look like philosophy ROI in this NGO passion is all even the sleaziest walking among the bedsheets or Arab see what is gold Oakley divide got back back to the bank. But one morning whatnot they are with books however when Apple Pie order your suit Oh god, I'm in a dark closet. Growing up the military decision is vaccines don't highly published gay for no reason that darkness in Mexico who died am putting us in the Navy because he fishes long before dawn the launch slides out. Llandeilo he cuts the engine, the launch this whole time with the flow slow breath. Eastwood first light is like a knife edge, hold the field brightness and lay to the horizon. Sometime he comes back with no line weaponMark Sumner 19:46 as of a third pillar short, but long, how long the art and wisdom flows. For him who what recording is he doing the Go screen And could it look amid the blaze of moon going objection aid, code or sometimes night the unsleeping principle of the light that prescribes it off of the apples run your arm equaling a girl's side that as she lives the controls for power recovery reverse curve from both and now the author Cody underneath the hook and of the flesh Dawn cumulus the principle that brackets to the breaker crest in one Thomas instant deterring between last upward ERG and suddenly toggle and boom and the principle that is startling bursts of field British son make a loan snowflake that desperately wants it immediately at least an unlikely moment comes into my mind when the bad day or sometimes night. Is a fleet of forms under one title. They are related for exactly about the same subject the same event called Sunset walk in peloton in Vermont and one rip wing Clifton and out are the fruit tickets Vegas know from black spoof bows it's a very great package come back again playing red in the red sun on Sunset plunges gone in the ensuing silence abrupt in backsplash and Keba of that shop documents in the mud big snow my car I I fixed the past black boot bows on the red West here in my chest. After a dark cave off, no time the heart beats well and he has gone and to all day the stream soul flooding boom done it go ahead. Now got it. But for the highest tangos brief night get on the boat and get plenty of muscular water, Bones flash and fight Kevin now only to end the cold, self generated light of snow down yet in the darkness of rockbank boulder rolling new stream the stream feeds with deep segmented joy like Doom and I I sit down read West's agenda here both flow and norm as upon waking the sound of what it leaves in darkness. I expanded my imagination to the flick theme of water blacker than backfile. and own it the stirring, light field of no darkness and free on the same spot in some at rush hour at the last light you have heard that full shadow shimmered and deep liquidity and again we'll but not now. Now, here fair Western, and here only a little bit of darkening water. And for whatever depth to be in I am asked the maid whether or not human figures and follow and whatever my human ignorance and anguish and what souls believe may be achieved as I am here to decode activation of snow, calling high of man meanwhile, are the mountains deep darkness coagulate and already where the sun is not touched for hours. The new ice system bringing this message here geometry and all it allows them to see but my son is an old man and I have not a 50 year 3d space. And if he would not be even able to guess what name it wore. What slepping Should I ask for him? That sometime in Fall season that just standing at Woodside and selling we had referred to the sound of moving water in his ear he sugar in that future moment blessed forward into that future future. An old man who as he is mine had once been with my All time what weapons may a man vote for but the more talented in the loving vigilant of themMark Sumner 25:15 I'll read one more which is the concluding portion of the lowest points between you and I read and listen he's got a problem in spatial composition within three seconds through the high window, upright rectangle of distance over to bring in testing fees and gambling glowing yet flight of forest just retrieved referred to SagnolMark Sumner 25:50 the young listen to follies hands up which is blue. Isn't knowledge, a tall scarf of stone gray but now is the truth of perception. That like a map of blue to blue deepen what we know we know and done now down, plane above blue dies upward forever kin sapling pure, pure and forever the sky upward airy liberal of the high window eruption confirms that the heart knows a yawn here forever. And nothing moves across a system that suffering and under the winter the book that after lelling and lounging day long by shallow and weak to double Who's that. Now let's test it is premature elite night. One of the deeper tones meditations to well out of a green up shining, ramshackle ugly set in the lower left foreground to stub the great tree. Don't let the sun black brush a single on guide upwind higher those of you in that perspective. Higher and even greenblue of difference is the mountain then black, you can go up to the sky always ready to hope every the composition of the upper right frame of the Windows Live you've lucid even thought and that is referenced angled down breaks the anchor the slight dip in hover makes contact the hope purchase and the top most indicative tip of the bow is Shaun black and city.Mark Sumner 27:50 Hall in Abilene is gone.Speaker 1 27:54 Robert Penn Warren Professor Emeritus of English at Yale reading from his forthcoming book of poetry an essay toward the human understanding. Nessa girl What is editor and this is John Burchard for Yale Report.