Anthony Hecht in the third section of “Meditation” engages in speculative ekphrasis, that is the description of an imaginary painting in which appear a madonna surrounded by saints. On one side is St. John the Baptist and
Across from him, relaxed but powerful,
Stands St. Sebastian, who is neither a ruse
To give a young male nude with classic torso
Into an obviously religious painting,
Nor one who suffers his target martyrdom
Languidly or with a masochist’s satisfaction.
He experiences a kind of acupuncture
I read an ironic note with the introduction of Chinese healing technique in this description. (The word sticks out like a pin.) Of course “acupuncture” rhymes with “rapture” and so might explain the continuation:
He experiences a kind of acupuncture
That in its blessedness has set him free
To attend to everything except himself
There is an odd sort of self-cancellation at work here. In a tingling fashion.
Complete text of the poem appears in Ecstatic Occasions, Expedient Forms edited by David Lehman.
And so for day 829
21.03.2009