Yesterday's elections in Scotland yielded an historic result: Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), will now have the majority needed to hold a referendum on independence. Salmond's party has followed the strategy laid-out for them by the PQ, in Quebec, who held several referendums, but never quite managed to achieve the majority to fulfill their dream. As an Anglo-Quebecer and Canadian, I was opposed to a separatist Quebec, a distinct province with a significant history that was better served in the federation - but I do welcome the chance Salmond offers his people for their own vote. It seems obvious that Scotland has the culture, infrastructure, and history, to deserve a say in its own governance, and to determine whether it will remain within the UK or become its own country in the EU, like the Republic of Ireland, or Portugal. Economics or fear may hinder the dream, but it may not - we might see a liberated Scotland in the next four years. Meanwhile, in Quebec, it seems that the most recent election saw the tossing out of the Bloc, separatists, in favour of the pro-Canadian NDP. In such matters, voters tend to be fickle, and torn between the devils they do, and do not, know.
When you open your mouth to speak, are you smart? A funny question from a great song, but also, a good one, when it comes to poets, and poetry. We tend to have a very ambiguous view of intelligence in poetry, one that I'd say is dysfunctional. Basically, it goes like this: once you are safely dead, it no longer matters how smart you were. For instance, Auden was smarter than Yeats , but most would still say Yeats is the finer poet; Eliot is clearly highly intelligent, but how much of Larkin 's work required a high IQ? Meanwhile, poets while alive tend to be celebrated if they are deemed intelligent: Anne Carson, Geoffrey Hill , and Jorie Graham , are all, clearly, very intelligent people, aside from their work as poets. But who reads Marianne Moore now, or Robert Lowell , smart poets? Or, Pound ? How smart could Pound be with his madcap views? Less intelligent poets are often more popular. John Betjeman was not a very smart poet, per se....
Comments
I really don't understand why you opposed an independent Quebec but support an independent Scotland. I can't see any difference. The Scots are certainly selfish enough to break up the UK. Let us hope that they don't succeed.
Best wishes from Simon
'What's selfish about wanting to break up a fictional construct, or any relationship you feel isn't working?' Everything! That's why there are so many broken homes and damaged kids in our society. Losing Scotland would save England and Wales an awful lot of money but most of us still want to keep the union intact.
Best wishes from Simon