Jesus christ this is difficult to read. I had to read the first Canto several times to figure out what the hell was going on. Way harder than those meme postmodernist novels. At least it seems to get easier in the next few cantos. Anyone read this?
sorry, nope.
>Fate never gives a guarantee>That she'll abstain from aught. And men>Get tired at last of being free-->Whether in states--in states or creeds.>For what's the sequel? Verily,>Laws scribbled by law-breakers, creeds>Scrawled by the freethinkers, and deeds>Shameful and shameless. Men get sick>Under that curse of Frederick>The cynical: For punishment>This rebel province I present>To the philosophers. But, how?>Whole nations now philosophize,>And do their own undoing now.-->Who's gained by all the sacrifice>Of Europe's revolutions? who?>The Protestant? the Liberal?>I do not think it--not at all:>Rome and the Atheist have gained:>These two shall fight it out--these two;>Protestantism being retained>For base of operations sly>By Atheism."> Without reply>Derwent low whistled--twitched a spray>That overhung: "What tree is this?">"The tree of knowledge, I dare say;>But you don't eat."--"That's not amiss,">The good man laughed; but, changing, "O,>That a New-Worlder should talk so!">"'Tis the New World that mannered me,>Yes, gave me this vile liberty>To reverence naught, not even herself.">"How say you? you're the queerest elf!
>>25430735I have, it's fine. Do you read poems often, OP? Clarel is pretty pedestrian in the grand scheme of things, and I'm not saying that to brag or be elitist. What did you find hard to understand?
