Chris Baterna > Recent Status Updates

On Moore: 'A poet must be pronounced a failure when he has no power of sowing in his readers the germs of future thoughts or impulses.'
On Hunt: "... one of the poets the world can do without, though I think it a pity it should."
On Byron: The fire which he kindled had inflamed himself first... His egotism may be ridiculous; he is not.

Martin's intro!!!
'It was the labour of amateurs, rather than academics, that paved the way to a new understanding of the Iliad's historicity.'
'Life is a struggle each person will ultimately lose; the question is how one acts with that knowledge.'
'The experience of the Iliad inevitably becomes one of self-exploration and self-definition in the face of such open-ended interpretive options.'

On Wordsworth: "Listen finally to the two emulous spiritual rivals for control of Wordsworth's soul - Thought the profoundest, Imagination at its loveliest..."
On Landor: "Genius owes it to itself, to the world, to show the utmost it can do, to set itself difficult tasks, to climb high peaks which lead nowhere, for the attainment of ends apparently profitless."

Stebbing is delivering banger after banger on Wordsworth and Coleridge.
[On the problem of many poets]: "Often it is preaching instead of singing."
"Imagination itself effloresces into a confusing exuberance - fancy upon fancy - reflection upon reflection."
[On Coleridge]: Nature had bestowed the gift of verse upon him as his proper mode of expression; and he used it as lightly as he came by it.

the summoner's tale has more farty jokes!

I mean... obviously the miller's tale is the best so far. Fart jokes and bum's aplenty.

'River' and "For Grace After a Party.'... ouchie ouchie

I am a Mrs Bennet stan.

lowkey a mrs bennet stan

Dazai wanted to present this as a story of "one unfortunate/unhappy household「一つの不幸な家庭」"so adding the scene between Gertrude and Horatio has really made it feel more intimate and personal. Definitely can see Dazai's own grievances come through in this scene.

Idk what nonsensical sunlit bouncy castle I've just found myself in, but I am so excited.

im dedicated to this idealism but... i hope there's some attainable solutions in the next half

Oh im emotional

Every year... I am struck with the desire to re-read this so suddenly and forcefully, that I find myself opening lectures from years ago, just to fully immerse myself in this party.

"I was burning out the infection in front of someone I cared about, and that made all the difference."
Lives changed. Earth shaken. Get me to my therapist.

not yet done with the book but BY GOD I better buy ten copies of it to cry over in rivers.

[Intro + The Beefeater - Kanagaki Robun]
A fairly comprehensive introduction into the historical context influencing the development of Japanese literature, making me realise how much room there is left for movement.

The Beefeater: hahahaha yeah don't let the weebs get a hold of this one

或阿呆の一生 (The Life of a Stupid Man)
This is the most haunting piece of writing I've ever read and I am so not ready to read the final story. Akutagawa's sensitive immersion and poetry in each section is insanely exposing; I think most people would say they 'know' him personally with this.

点鬼簿 (Death Register)
Although it's not a fictional work, this one is just a lyrical and heartbreaking as the others. Really feeling the pull towards death now, and it's hurting.

子供の病気　(The Baby's Sickness)
in support of his writing concerns from 文章、 Akutagawa's recollection of this anxiety-filled event is a lot more striking than some of his works intended to be literary. Here, his superstitions - and meta-superstitions, are so honestly layed out as a father's guilt and anxieties

文章 (The Writer's Craft)
sometimes writing and its worldly conditions do really prohibit a writer like that.

Re-reading this because I’m once again emotional about Dazai’s life

大道寺信輔の半生 (Daidouji Shinsuke: The Early Years) - I’m in tears… this is definitely in my top 5 Akutagawa stories so far. The traces of his own identity are so heartwarming but tragic as Rubin puts it in the notes: “Had he lived longer, Akutagawa might have come to realize that he was far from alone.”

馬の足(Horse Legs) - I, too, would like to gallop away from my responsibilities. Akutagawa is so real for this one

ネギ(Green Onions) - Akutagawa’s tone in this is hilarious but makes me so curious as to what his critics were saying for him to write with such spite and energy. A wildly different pace to his other short stories, but retains the classic Akutagawa irony and clever charm

Finished Purgatorio. Interesting to see all the action left in Inferno, and certainly less compelling but oh well

Finished Inferno… Personally, my mother would never punish her children like this

首が落ちた話 (Story of a Head that Fell Off) - not his best, but still made me sit and stare at a wall in thought about life and universality for like 2 hours.