"Defeeted" by poem
A poem by Robert Bly in the current Atlantic begins with these puzzling words: “The ant moves on his tiny Sephardic feet….”
Of course, in the words of Archibald MacLeish, “A poem should not mean/But be.” Still, is it too much to ask that the words in it convey a little meaning? Why Sephardic feet? Are Sephardic feet any different from Ashkenazic feet (except for being one syllable shorter)?
Is this a Spanish/Portuguese/Moroccan/Turkish ant? Does it eat rice during Pesach?
Get The Jewish Standard Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
Actually, the line reminds me of Carl Sandburg’s contention that the fog comes in on “little cat feet” – clearly, Sandburg never had a kitten.
RKB
comments