For Your Elucidation and Enlightenment

[darkelf105]

In a desperate attempt to rectify all of the ignorance about everything that I seem to find myself possessing, I have been reading Ovid. Well, Ted Hughes Tales From Ovid to be more precise, as I have started a reading list based from Michael Dirda's Bound To Please. Here is part of the story of Echo, because it is harsh and beautiful and made me pause. Everyone could use a pause in their day. Enjoy.

It so happened, Narcissus
Had strayed apart
From his companions.
He hallooed them: "Where are you?
I'm here." And Echo
Caught at the syllables as if they were precious:
"I'm here," she cried,"I'm here" and "I'm here" and "I'm here."

Narcissus looked around wildly.
"I'll stay here," he shouted.
"You come to me." And "Come to me,"
Shouted Echo. "Come to me,
To me, to me, to me."
Narcissus stood baffled.
Whether to stay or go. He began to run,
Calling as he ran: "Stay there." But Echo
Cried back, weeping to utter it,"Stay there,
Stay there, stay there, stay there."
Narcissus stopped and listened. Then, more quietly,
"Let's meet halfway. Come." And Echo
Eagerly repeated it: "Come."

But whne she emerged from the undergrowth
Her expression pleading,
Her arms raised to embrace him,
Narcissus turned and ran.
"No," he cried, "no, I would sooner be dead
Than let you touch me." Echo collapsed in sobs,
As her voice lurched among the mountains:
"Touch me, touch me, touch me, touch me."

The last two lines are heartbreakingly beautiful to me. I love Ted Hughes' aesthetics.

Comments

[rayechu.livejournal.com]

Wow. That was really neat and vaguely familiar.

[darkelf105.livejournal.com]

Tis from one of the books on Monsieur Dirda's required reading list.

[fran-5yr.livejournal.com]

Cool.

[lady-bell.livejournal.com]

So sad, but I love it! Why are such heartbreaking things so beautiful!? *sniff*

[darkelf105.livejournal.com]

If you liked that, you should check out the rest of Ted Hughes' Tales From Ovid. It's beautifully written, plus Ovid was one of the best ancient poets evar and Hughes, who was married, I think marries or at least a lover to, Slyvia Plath, does a splendid job.

[mawsh-mellow.livejournal.com]

I thought it was going to be funny, but it was sad :(
Like in through the looking glass, and the whole conversation with the ambiguity of "nobody (Nobody)"