Introduction Dante walks in back pockets of both poets, making the air tremble and sigh. In 1818
Keats carries “those three little volumes” to Scotland, to Burns country where weary
feet forget themselves and Eagles may seem to sleep wing wide upon the
Air. In 1937 Mandelstam—whose name, Osip, echoed that of Iosif Stalin’s “Anticipating
his arrest. . ,—obtained an edition of The Divine Comedy in small format and always had it with him in his pocket, just in case he was arrested not at home but in the street.”
“blind world” “no plaint was heard Except of sighs” “that made the eternal air tremble”
Broad-chested imps of power, fingers like worms decree plunge of song
In this world are rhymes. Wrench them apart and the world shudders.
Nightingale: a divine concentrated melodic comedy
Goldfinch: with Jewish yellows and blacks, flush of Jewish doom on your chin “What a flashy finch you are!”
a poet’s speech begins a great way off: the way of comets
Mandelstam: “It’s not for me to build a home, Settling at the crossroads.” I get lost in the sky.”
Keats: “I then suddenly forgot which was North or South.”
1934: singer soon disappeared
to sing or fell timber for bread lay like a mouse on bed restlessness all over him I see his lips moving Dead now treading his lips still moving
