On a Frozen Planet by John Grey

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K._Vesi

On a Frozen Planet by John Grey

Post by K._Vesi »

Holy! I really liked this poem. It's like a story/poem. Like an explorer's journal entry written as a poem. Very good idea. Amazing imagery. Brilliant ending.<br><br>Kathleen
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: On a Frozen Planet by John Grey

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

As Ms. Vesi said, this poem is notable for its vivid imagery.  It is also fun to follow some of the hints it drops about the universe its narrator inhabits:<br><br>'so far from their sun'<br><br>-- i.e., not OUR sun; we are in another solar system; also, the use of the pronoun 'they' implies that this system harbors life of some kind, possibly intelligent.<br><br>'A tear in his suit ... Never did a man burn so blue.'<br><br>-- it is cold enough here that any exposure is quickly fatal (i.e., colder by far than Antarctica); 'burn so blue' could refer to extreme frostbite (or, to be icky, freezer burn!), but might also refer to cyanosis (bluish coloration due to hypoxia), in which case we might infer that the atmosphere isn't breathable.  However, the following verses indicate that the snow is water, not (say) methane, so maybe not.<br><br>'What's the point <br>of all this wasted liquid<br>when there's desert planets thirsting<br>for the merest raindrop?'<br><br>Lots of planets out there that have been visited, or at least studied in enough detail to determine a dearth of liquid water.<br><br>'Maybe this planet dreams.<br>And it's some wretched lifeless world<br>that sears those dreams.'<br><br>(1) personification, to parallel the narrator's lingering memories of a lost love;<br>(2) the implication that water -- even frozen water -- means life, or at least the potential for it.<br><br>Pardon my deconstruction.<br><br>Dan, note that Mr. Grey has been published in some fairly prestigious (and paying) markets (Weird Tales in particular), so he should be on your Aphelion pros list.  Or maybe you should have a separate list for pros (with sales before Aphelion) who sometimes come down to commune with us 'fer the luv' (to use Ralan Conley's term) writers ...<br><br>Robert M.<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Last edited by Robert_Moriyama on July 19, 2004, 03:23:02 PM, edited 1 time in total.
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

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janis
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Re: On a Frozen Planet by John Grey

Post by janis »

Mr. Moriyama,<br><br>I must say that I enjoy your analysis of the poems and stories on this site. On several occasions, I’ve found myself re-visiting a story/poem after reading your critique to see what I missed. <br><br>Jan I. S.
I don't take drugs: I am drugs. ~ Salvador Dali
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: On a Frozen Planet by John Grey

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

Mr. Moriyama,

I must say that I enjoy your analysis of the poems and stories on this site. On several occasions, I’ve found myself re-visiting a story/poem after reading your critique to see what I missed.

Jan I. S.
<br><br>Funny, this is really the first month that I've commented on the poetry since the new YaBB lettercol came online. I don't think I commented on much before, either ... It's that smoke-and-mirrors essay-writing circuit coming back to life after many years of dormancy. (My high school teachers and a few of my professors at university liked the stuff I turned in, mainly because I could actually construct complete sentences and paragraphs -- sadly, an uncommon skill even back then!)<br><br>All together, now "Compare and contrast the following passages: ..."<br><br>Robert M.
You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

Jack London (1876-1916)
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