Craig Murray with a beautiful piece about Harold Pinter. Losing Pinter and Adrian Mitchell within a few days of each other is a savage loss to lovers of peace everywhere.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Suffering as I am with galloping post-Christmas torpor, allow me to cheat by simply pasting a few words from my own blog:
“Talking of prospering in the applause of idiots brings me to the demise of Harold Pinter. Of course, his death is a loss to his family and friends but in the wider world of the arts (well, certain dark, mutinous corners of it, at any rate) there will be much cheering, muted, naturally, out of good manners, but cheering none the less. It isn’t just that his plays are boring but the fact that he wasn’t very good at being boring. Nowhere did he reach the depths of turgidity achieved by, say, Samuel Beckett, whose plays resemble absolute zero temperature in that all signs of life, on stage and off, seem to have disappeared! Pinter’s texts are a series of non-sequiturs whose random and puzzling nature disguises an author with absolutely nothing of any interest to say. Alas, we must standby for a year of Pinter revivals and then, hopefully, the poor man can sink into the theatrical obscurity which he so richly deserves. And, please, don’t get me started on his non-poetry!”
Yes, I think that sums him up rather well!
When the BBC starts its tribute to this excellent chappie,that would be the complete unexpurgated works, will you be watching ? Little easier for you, Pinter on the BBC, footie on ITV, now what’s it goin’ to be ?
Duffy, when does your latest play open? Also, here’s a tip for you. If you are trying to attract readers to your dirge-like blog by advertising them here, you need to make it vaguely interesting.
Mike… easy for me, I’d probably watch the footie unless it involved Chelsea (boring) or ManUre (hateful). Interestingly, one of Pinter’s earliest plays, The Dumb Waiter contains a sequence in which Gus and Ben discuss the virtues of Aston Villa and the clean way in which they play the beautiful game. I doubt there are many other clubs that feature in a play written by a Nobel Prize winner.
To be honest, Bob, my chances of attracting any of your regular readers is vanishingly small, I’m relieved to say. As for your admiration of Pinter, allow me to hint strongly that you would have difficulty in recognising the difference between poop and poetry if you trod in it!
Also, having read today a review of a semi-biography of Arthur Miller, another darling of the Left sub-intelligentsia, I am reminded that my prediction that his works, too, would sink without trace after his death has indeed come to pass. My smugness is without limit!
Oh, and a Happy New Year to you and the comrades as you face the reckoning!
Actually, Duffy, if you continue with these torpid comments you’ll frighten away my readers too…. do try to pep things up a bit. I know all these years of supporting the losing team can make you morbid, but a bit of wit and intelligence occasionally wouldn’t go amiss.
Incidentally, I know it might be a strain to ask you to occasionally read the posts before you comment on them, but I made no reference whatsoever to Pinter’s playwriting nor his poetry, neither of which I find particularly appealing.
Bob said:
Duffy, if you are trying to attract readers to your dirge-like blog by advertising them here, you need to make it vaguely interesting.
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Sweet Jesus – hark at Dostoevsky
Ah, but Wayne, old son…. YOU came here!
Bob said:
Ah, but Wayne, old son…. YOU came here!
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Yeah, I clicked through from a blog with more traffic and which people actually read. Something I do.
Not clear to me how that gives YOU bragging rights
…because that blog links to…me! And mugs like you just keep on coming back for a kicking Wayne.
Bob, I doubt if Pinter will be missed at all, other than by knee-jerk anti americans.
You might have the courtesy to give praise to the author of the poe you quote.
GW – You’re right, I shouldn’t make assumptions that everyone knows one of the world’s most popular poems. If there is anyone that poorly educated, it is of course by Dylan Thomas.
Strange how most of the literary critics in even the right-wing media have become knee-jerk anti-Americans overnight if the obituaries are anything to go by. What a fitting tribute to Pinter.