Friday, November 10, 2006

Happy Birthday

100 years ago today, 27-year-old Vachel Lindsay celebrated his birthday in New York City by commencing the making of his poem, I Heard Emmanuel Singing. The poem was his interpretation of the startling dream he had the previous September. It was finished on Christmas Day.

Although one of the earliest of his poems, it bears many of the unique hallmarks that would appear throughout his body of work. The rhyme and meter of the poem is based on a familiar song or hymn and it includes directions from Lindsay on how to perform it. It is a rather long poem. The beginning of it is presented here.

I HEARD EMMANUEL SINGING

The poem shows the Master with his work done, singing to free his heart in Heaven.

This poem is intended to be half said, half sung, very softly, to the well-known tune:-

"Last night I lay a-sleeping,
There came a dream so fair,
I stood in Old Jerusalem
Beside the temple there,-" etc.

Yet this tune is not to be fitted on arbitrarily. It is here given to suggest the manner of handling rather than determine it.

I heard Immanuel singing
Within his own good lands,
I saw him bend above his harp.
I watched his wandering hands
Lost amid the harp-strings;
Sweet, sweet I heard him play.
His wounds were altogether healed.
Old things had passed away.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Larry Stevens said...

We got some birthday spam

Job Conger said...

Larry --
Congratulations and kudos for an excellent effort! I can't think of a VLA board member better suited to the task, and my only regret is that you're presiding over a blog requiring a password and not a web site.
You clearly have a fine understanding of the poet and the technical ability for this blog.
I have just posted pictures from the 127th birthday celebration at the Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site at my web site www.civag.com/lind127.htm
I have some thoughts to share with you offline, so may I ask you to e me with your email address? I will keep it in confidence, I guarantee.
Keep up the great work!
-- Job

Larry Stevens said...

Thanks, Job.

Embarrassing as it is to admit, we just couldn't keep the old website going. It was never as reliable or as functional as a website should be. Our human resources are quite limited and this really is the best we can do for now.

We feel it is better to have free blog that only requires a quick registration for posting comments than a website that is never accessible at all, grows stale quickly and (even when it was up)has no functionality for interactivity. As I've said to others, you wouldn't even have been able to post a comment at the old website.

I started this blog as my own project and turned it over to the VLA when the Board saw these advantages. The money that was being wasted on the defunct website was put to much better use this year transferring Look Into Your Heart onto DVD and getting Lee Gurga for the annual meeting. Next year, the savings will be put toward the badly-needed refurbishing of the "Rose and Lotus" mural.

Another advantage of the blog is the ability to connect to all the bloggers out there who regularly discuss VL or post his poetry. Whenever I hear the oft-repeated refrain that Lindsay is almost completely forgotten, I merely cite the dozens of mentions he gets every week in the blogosphere.

Again, thanks for the complement. I hope this addresses your concern. I'll e-mail you soon.

Unknown said...

lv features Monogram canvas with natural cowhide trim. The classic louis vuitton and quatrefoil signature design always can attract appreciations from someone special hidden in the crowd. The shiny brass hardware and the modern, feminine shape make Louis vuitton bags exude a more luxurious look. Besides the pleasing appearance, louis vuitton handbags is multi-functional.

Unknown said...

If you are determined enough and really, truly want to own a Coach Outlet , then you are just steps away from having what it is you want. The first step to getting discounted Coach Madison it to go online. The second step would be to look for sites that offer Coach Hamptons that are in your shopping budget. If you don't know how to do that, then I can help you with that, also. I know of a great place that offers Coach Wristlet , shoes and accessories for not just a few dollars less than retail, but hundreds less.



Featuring Breitling movement with a power reserve system of 42 hours, Chrono Superocean is measured at a diameter of 44 millimeters, a thickness of 17 millimeters and a weight of 120 grams. As to the case, there are some options including stainless steel, gold, yellow, white or rose 18kt. The retail prices of Superocean vary depending on the version Chronomat B01 , ranging from $9,000 to over $18,000 for tailor made models with diamonds.

Anonymous said...

hermes handbag come in a far-reaching operation of colors identical to sky blue, bubblegum pink, navy, pewter, apple immature as good as magenta. Kelly bag additionally come in assorted styles as good as sizes to encounter any need. We will try a couple of Kelly bags .
It has become very convenient to lose the weight by using lida daidaihua . These daidaihua can show good results if taken under the supervision of the doctors and physicians. lida slimming is the most effective. This weight reduction slimming capsule is said to have magical effects related to weight reduction. It has been declared the best weight loss capsule for the year 2008. slimming capsules is said to burn the calories in a natural manner thus help in reducing the weight. On the other hand, it also works as a very effective appetite suppressant. lida tends to control the food cravings that eventually results in a lower intake of calories.
For some reason, quilted Chanel handbag , especially those with diamond or herringbone patterns, look unique and classy. Unique because of the texture it creates, and classy because such a pattern reminds me of Chanel , the brand that produced the very first quilted bag - the iconic chanel watches . Very similar to the purpose of a cross body bag, Ms. Coco Chanel bags made the Chanel 2.55 Flap because she wanted to give women the freedom to do other things with their two hands while they wear their bags over the shoulders.
Tiffany uk are well known for producing fancy pieces of jewelry which are made to a very high standard. Many pieces of silver bracelets include beautiful diamonds are attractive. The Tiffany accessories brings us many beautiful and elegant pieces for us. No matter the design but also the quality, they all both better than other popular jewelry. If you want to buy the stylish jewelry, you can visit our website. At our website, you can find the most stylish but cheap Tiffany sets , at the same time, you can get more information about the popular jewelry.

Anonymous said...

hermes handbag come in a far-reaching operation of colors identical to sky blue, bubblegum pink, navy, pewter, apple immature as good as magenta. Kelly bag additionally come in assorted styles as good as sizes to encounter any need. We will try a couple of Kelly bags .
It has become very convenient to lose the weight by using lida daidaihua . These daidaihua can show good results if taken under the supervision of the doctors and physicians. lida slimming is the most effective. This weight reduction slimming capsule is said to have magical effects related to weight reduction. It has been declared the best weight loss capsule for the year 2008. slimming capsules is said to burn the calories in a natural manner thus help in reducing the weight. On the other hand, it also works as a very effective appetite suppressant. lida tends to control the food cravings that eventually results in a lower intake of calories.
For some reason, quilted Chanel handbag , especially those with diamond or herringbone patterns, look unique and classy. Unique because of the texture it creates, and classy because such a pattern reminds me of Chanel , the brand that produced the very first quilted bag - the iconic chanel watches . Very similar to the purpose of a cross body bag, Ms. Coco Chanel bags made the Chanel 2.55 Flap because she wanted to give women the freedom to do other things with their two hands while they wear their bags over the shoulders.
Tiffany uk are well known for producing fancy pieces of jewelry which are made to a very high standard. Many pieces of silver bracelets include beautiful diamonds are attractive. The Tiffany accessories brings us many beautiful and elegant pieces for us. No matter the design but also the quality, they all both better than other popular jewelry. If you want to buy the stylish jewelry, you can visit our website. At our website, you can find the most stylish but cheap Tiffany sets , at the same time, you can get more information about the popular jewelry.