I’ve been reading Robert Hass’s Twentieth Century Pleasures: Prose on Poetry. I’m mostly out of my depth, but it’s rewarding nonetheless.
Hass gives us a poem from Nils Petersen. Let me remind you of the Herrick first, a fine, sly piece of work.
Whenas in silks my Julia goes
Then, then (methinks) how sweetly flows
That liquefaction of her clothes.Next, when I cast mine eyes and see
That brave vibration each way free;
O how that glittering taketh me!
Here’s Petersen.
Whenas in silks
Whenas in silks
My Julia goes
My Julia goes
Then, then methinks (methinks)
How sweetly flows
Sweetly flows
The liquefaction (faction) (faction)
Of her clothes
her clothes her clothes