Thursday, March 22, 2007

Insult Poem

"This poem is by Archilochos, the first Western lyric poet and a contemporary of Homer. What's remarkable about him, especially for a lyric poet, is that he was a mercenary soldier by trade. Practically everything of his that survives is a fragment, but this one seems to be complete. One of the big genres for Greek lyric poetry was the insult poem, much like a Rap tirade."

Thanks Stephen Ellis for sending the poem & info! I love this genre. I am going to embrace it, I feel it might be a good one for me.


Swept overboard, unconscious in the breakers,
strangled with seaweed, may you wake up in a gelid
surf, your teeth, already cracked into the shingle,
now set rattling by the wind, while facedown,
helpless as a poisoned cur, on all fours you puke
brine reeking of dead fish. May those you meet,
barbarians as ugly as their souls are hateful
treat you to the moldy wooden bread of slaves
And may you, with your split teeth sunk in that,
smile, then, the way you did when speaking as my friend.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you have to mention my split teeth mm? That was just between us.
What a great poem. Thanks for sharing it with us. I need to read more of it.

Anonymous said...

PD I thought you had those fixed with some heavy duty orthodontia. Your rotten booze-split teeth. How I miss them. I also miss facts. How many facts can you think of which coincide with what you see? Not too many.

Anonymous said...

Good point MM. When you put it that way, I don't think there is such a thing as a fact. But I am certain of the existence of endoplasmic reticulum.

Anonymous said...

la venganza se lamenta
rencor, rencor dulce

spite
friendship betrayed
manly revenge

you don these fineries well MM

Anonymous said...

Hi Mountain Man

Mountain Man said...

My cloak is stained with pickle brine not spite. It's not my fault it just is.

fairy butler said...

i am liking the pirate/rap/classical greek mash up. Pirate rap with loin clothes - setting = ruins, lions, old heavy stone crap.

Did anyone notice all the seagulls everywhere this morning?

Mountain Man said...

FB I have been seeing seagulls all the time. It is freaking me out. Why are they here?

fairy butler said...

Seriously wtf is going on with the seagulls. they woke me at dawn. I think al queda sent them.

fairy butler said...

Did they just come out of their seagull cocoons? when i see them i just think that there must be an abundance of dead, rotting biomass. They may be here to eat the babies.

Mountain Man said...

THey are definitely out to spread pestilence.

Mountain Man said...

I don't mind pestilence or rotting biomass. Personally.

Anonymous said...

the seagulls are massing in anticipation of the Jesus/Satan Smackdown. y'know, cruising for biblical carrion.

sloth said...

mm, this Archiochos is entertaining and much more pertinent to my daily life than the Odyssey.

Anonymous said...

I have a rotting biomess in my gut, by the way.

The Capt'n said...

It's 6 AM and I'm hitting the road to San Diego to work. X's over my eyes, all I can say is this: xoxo

Anonymous said...

X's and O's right back at you Capt'n. X's for eyes is my fate today too.

Anonymous said...

I love the greek lyric poem! Thanks fo rposting it, I feel better now.

I think this poem should be kept on ones person at all time. How would you suggest storing it?

Anonymous said...

I have a hidden compartment inside my moldy wooden bread shoes for poetery and spare teeth.
Hi MM! corny here sending you missives from the foot of the Alps. Also known as the seat of hell. Hearts.

dubz said...

hi ems. hi ems...

Anonymous said...

Theres a man on teevee doing a techno mime dance... its hard to explain.

Anonymous said...

i dance like that because I want to die.....

Anonymous said...

Hi emms, hi ems.
Love the piece, can i quote it to some of my clients who are pissing me off? nice graphic visuals.. just up my alley.
love ya.. love to UF.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ems!

Anonymous said...

ITS FUNNEH ......NOT