an iris
trapped in a vase
like love
there are things
we never wanted
Biding Time: Selected Poems 2001-2013
H. Gene Murtha
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
一朵鳶尾花
被困在花瓶內
就像愛情
有一些事情
我們從未想望
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
一朵鸢尾花
被困在花瓶内
就像爱情
有一些事情
我们从未想望
Bio Sketch
H.
Gene Murtha, a naturalist and poet, sponsored and judged the first
haiku contest for the inner city children of Camden, NJ., for the
Virgilio Group, of which he is a lifetime member. He is widely published
for his work in haikai literature from the USA to Japan.
"love" in either of these two readings below is portrayed/perceived in a negative light:
ReplyDelete1)
an iris
"trapped in a vase
like love"
2)
like love
there are things
"we never wanted"
And Gene's use of the first person plural POV that takes up the perspective of the group agent says something more about the I-speaker/narrator who holds a very negative view of love, an intense feeling of deep affection by which everyone is nurtured.
The first-person-plural point of view occurs rarely but can be used effectively, sometimes as a means to increase "the concentration on the character" the story is about. For example, William Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily."