Southerly by David Haywood

Read Post

Southerly: The Secret Poetry of Economists

54 Responses

First ←Older Page 1 2 3 Newer→ Last

  • Russell Brown,

    I am speechless; dumb
    Made numb
    By the beauty
    Of dismal science

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Way too good to be Bollard's work, that's for sure.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood,

    Thank you, Russell...

    As you might expect, the author is particularly proud of the last line in poem VI. Possibly one of the best lines of poetry ever written, in my opinion. I expect that (in the future) it will be compared to Eliot's 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock'.

    Incidentally, how much better Eliot's poetry would have been if he'd had an economist to help with the editing. 'Sedated' is so much more medically accurate than 'etherized'.

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Way too good to be Bollard's work, that's for sure.

    You're obviously not familiar with Bollard's erotic work.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood,

    Way too good to be Bollard's work, that's for sure.

    Oh, you doubter, Sacha...

    P.S. Russell: I do like the updated version of your poem. The dumb/numb thing works rather well. Have you thought of moving sideways into economics?

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Zippy Gonzales,

    LMAO. Can't wait for the Bollard Annual.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 186 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    As you might expect, the author is particularly proud of the last line in poem VI. Possibly one of the best lines of poetry ever written, in my opinion.

    For me, that line dragged down the whole collection: it's a transparent attempt to hitch up to the cultural nationalism train. He might as well have written something about tuis, or rain.

    The misspelling of "pohutukawa" gives it away.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    VI

    I believe being able to distinguish between the numbers four and six may be a prerequisite for an economics career. Still given the last few years, who knows?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    You guys just made me scare the heck out of my nurse. Now she wants to take my lap-top away.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood,

    Yes VI, as Sacha says... but with respect to the last line of poem IV, I suggest that (even there) you have not fully appreciated the brilliance of the poetry.

    The line was clearly a conscious act of hitching to the "cultural nationalism train", and the clever irony is revealed by the deliberate mis-spelling. The poet is saying: "Hey, I'm an economist, but I'm also just a man. And, like you, I can't spell".

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Shucks, the George Bush of economists, even.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The poet is saying: "Hey, I'm an economist, but I'm also just a man. And, like you, I can't spell".

    How could I have missed that?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    LMAO. Can't wait for the Bollard Annual.

    You bet - though I do hope there'll be some of these kind of mystery-solving adventures of Bollard & his chums, with maybe full instructions for an origami model of the economy, the very thing for a hungover post-xmas afternoon - or just a wheelchair, if that's too much trouble.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    You guys just made me scare the heck out of my nurse. Now she wants to take my lap-top away.

    Crikey. Best you steer clear of Super Powered Breasts Are Our Only Hope Against The Evil Fish People then.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    Re: VI -

    yep, the final line was good, but still a bit of a comedown. The whole sequence was really building up to the title of VI.

    " Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Modelling"

    I mean, come on. You were never going to top that.


    Oh, and TS Elliott looked an economist. More so than Bollard.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Cool. Clips of Under the Mountain too, with an uneasy looking Sam Neill.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Yes VI, as Sacha says...

    Indeed! I would stand and applaud that line if it hadn't already ruined my day.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Bell,

    I was mildly disappointed you didn't manage to work in a reference to quantitative easing (too obvious?), but I'm otherwise impressed.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 49 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    I believe being able to distinguish between the numbers four and six may be a prerequisite for an economics career. Still given the last few years, who knows?

    Oh, anything above four is a stimulus package.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The word "quantitative"
    Chatters, clatters through
    As if it were a train
    And its syllables fretful sleepers

    But in your arms
    It eases

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood,

    I was mildly disappointed you didn't manage to work in a reference to quantitative easing

    I beg your pardon, Chris? Poem II was entirely about quantitative easing.

    I'm afraid that I don't see an academic position in an English department coming your way any time soon...

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I beg your pardon, Chris? Poem II was entirely about quantitative easing.

    I thought it was to do with irrational consumer choice, but what would I know?

    Also: I added the word "fretful" to my quantitative easing poem.

    C'est fini.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Crunchy Weta,

    The Economy of Poetry

    Its hard to say something new
    in a land
    where cliches are a dime a dozen

    Its hard to be brief
    when work once begun
    compels exertion

    Its a land
    where seed is sown
    nurtured, grown
    where the heartfest
    is threshed, pounded
    mulled over, digested
    till the motion is moved
    that the product's approved

    Its a land
    where the whiff of a word
    is not worth a scent
    where fragments of thought
    and keen observations
    are coined by obsessive compulsives

    Its a land littered
    with the broken hearted, dreamers
    ecstatics, romantics
    and the multi level marketeers
    reaching deep in their pockets
    to retrieve
    microscopically important localities
    and to flash their native lingo currency
    for all to see, and admire.
    Yet none in this land do complain
    where the driven and driven
    live out of each others pockets.

    Oh
    Its hard to say something new.
    Oh
    Its hard to be brief

    $ $ $
    Burn Burn Burn

    Mamaku • Since Nov 2006 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood,

    I added the word "fretful" to my quantitative easing poem

    I note, however, that you've inadvertently spelt it correctly -- thus missing the opportunity to demonstrate your deliberately ironic juxtaposition with "sleepers", and your solidarity with the common man.

    Perhaps you could humorously insert an apostrophe to make "sleeper's" (this has the added advantage of introducing a note of mystery into your composition).

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Juha Saarinen,

    Where is the Underestimated Power of Deflation, I ask of you? Where?

    Since Nov 2006 • 529 posts Report Reply

First ←Older Page 1 2 3 Newer→ Last

Post your response…

Please sign in using your Public Address credentials…

Login

You may also create an account or retrieve your password.