Poetry Reading
I went to listen today to John Watson, a poet from the Yorkshire Dales, reading and explaining the stories behind his favourite poems.
He read pieces by Walter de la Mere, John Betjeman, John Clare, Wilfred Owen and Robert Burns.
I never knew that the clipper, the Cutty Sark, had a figurehead consisting of a witch's hand holding a horse's tail. Apparently this derived from Burn's Tam o'Shanter where he is chased by a witch wearing a short shirt (cutty sark). Witches cannot cross running water and as Tam rode over the Brig o Doon the witch pulled off the horse's tail and was left with it in her hand as Tam and his horse Meg escaped.
Is this just another useless bit of knowledge for me to store away?
Comments, Pingbacks:
Comment from: sarah_james [Member] 
· http://www.milltech-systems.co.uk
· http://www.milltech-systems.co.uk
Sounds like an interesting reading.
Re your final question, it probably depends if that's all you want to do with it! It sounds like it's caught your attention so maybe there's the inspiration for poem or a short story...
Re your final question, it probably depends if that's all you want to do with it! It sounds like it's caught your attention so maybe there's the inspiration for poem or a short story...
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2008-09-10 @ 19:58
Comment from: bob scotney [Member]
Funnily enough the next topic for Yarms Writers' Group is on Angels or Witches.
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2008-09-10 @ 20:58
Comment from: sue kendrick [Member] · http://www.suekendrick.co.uk
· http://www.suekendrick.co.uk
Not useless knowledge to me Bob, I love this kind of thing! A friend of mine started a poetry appreciation group at the beginning of the the year, The Ancient Rhymers, (nothing to do with age, we meet in a museum!). One of the members quite often reads Burns, he's scots and his accent gets thicker as he progresses so he usually has to translate at the end!
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2008-09-11 @ 10:13
Comment from: bob scotney [Member]
I was first exposed to Burns while at St Andrews University - fifty years ago - Burns suppers and all.
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2008-09-11 @ 12:35
Comment from: tbelshaw [Member]
I got married on Burns night. It was never the same after...
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2008-09-12 @ 22:31
Comment from: greenygrey [Member] · http://www.greenygrey.co.uk
· http://www.greenygrey.co.uk
Fascinating info Bob; never would have guessed the meaning of cutty sark
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2008-09-15 @ 09:42