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Welcome to celebrate creativity - my name is George Bartley and this is episode 437 - the Second of a two part series - Poe’s Creativity - Part Two

Mr. Poe - you know I I'm very curious about your writing - and the effects you attempted to generate - Would you say that you were a stylist?

Indeed, Mr. Bartley, I would say that I am a stylist, and in the most deliberate and uncompromising sense of the word. Style, to me, is not a mere flourish or a decorative element to be draped over a story's frame. It is the very foundation of the work, the precise and calculated means by which a particular effect is achieved.

I am a stylist in my relentless pursuit of "Unity of Effect." I believe that a work of art, be it prose or poetry, must be a complete and coherent experience. Every word, every sentence, every rhythm and cadence is chosen not for its individual beauty, but for its contribution to the single, overarching mood I wish to evoke. When I write of a decaying mansion, the language itself must feel as if it is crumbling. When I write of a man's descent into madness, the very structure of the sentences must become a reflection of his unraveling mind.

My style is also a reflection of my belief in the power of sound and rhythm. I hold that the ear is as important as the eye in receiving a work of art. My poems, such as "The Raven," are meticulously crafted with assonance, alliteration, and internal rhyme, not as poetic tricks, but as a hypnotic drumbeat that lulls the reader into a state of profound melancholy. The repetition of "Nevermore" is not just a word; it is a tolling bell, a final, inescapable sound that echoes the narrator's despair.

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Welcome to Celebrate Creativity - my name is George Bartley and this is episode 436 - the first of a two part series - Poe’s Creativity - Part One

First I have a confession to make - her somehow got the last two audio files, their titles, and numbers mixed up - it's very easy to do - I will definitely be sure to do all that I can to be sure that this doesn't happen again - and I hope I'm now back on track with this episode. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Now, this and the following episode deal with Edgar Allan poe and creativity - first his creativity and poetry, then his creativity in relation to prose. And here is the ghost of Mr. Poe right now - a character that listeners to this podcast might be familiar with from earlier episodes, and a writer who will certainly return for many other future podcast episodes.

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Welcome to celebrate creativity. My name is George Bartley, and this is episode 435 - Walt’s Cloak

It seems that the best way to get useful information from an ai is by using clear and thorough prompts. In other words, the best way to get an answer that is useful is to spend time thinking how to communicate clearly what you want to say - possibly writing down a list of the questions you want to ask - because it is easy to get off-topic. Sometimes, that might require that you spend a few sentences describing your situation. This will inevitably get you a better answer.

Here I am using perplexity - not my favorite AI - but one that is serviceable enough. To start with, I enter what might seem like a rather long prompt. Some people might feel that it even has unnecessary information, but I have found that's a more information you give the AI.bot the more information it has to go on and the better answer we can give you.

So without further ado, my prompt regarding Whitman and Peter Doyle is as follows:

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Welcome to Celebrate. Creativity - This is Episode 434 - A Fierce Undeniable Attraction

Walt Whitman’s words about the female form is the subject of the first section of this episode.

Section 4

This is the female form,
A divine nimbus exhales from it from head to foot,
It attracts with fierce undeniable attraction,
I am drawn by its breath as if I were no more than a helpless vapor, all falls aside but myself and it,
Books, art, religion, time, the visible and solid earth, and what was expected of heaven or fear’d of hell, are now consumed,
Mad filaments, ungovernable shoots play out of it, the response likewise ungovernable,
Hair, bosom, hips, bend of legs, negligent falling hands all diffused, mine too diffused,
Ebb stung by the flow and flow stung by the ebb, love-flesh swelling and deliciously aching,
Limitless limpid jets of love hot and enormous, quivering jelly of love, white-blow and delirious juice,
Bridegroom night of love working surely and softly into the dawn,
Undulating into the willing and yielding day,
Lost in the cleave of the clasping and sweet-flesh’d day.

And this episode continues with Walt Whitman's words and commentary about the female form.

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Welcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 433 - Cataloging the Sensual

I left off talking about Whitman's use of free verse, and now I'd like to say a little bit more. about his technique of cataloging - away in which you might say that he glorified the common place. In his catalogues, such as the one in "I Hear America Singing," Whitman elevates the ordinary work of everyday people into something monumental. He lists the "mechanic," the "carpenter," the "mason," the "boatman," and the "ploughboy," giving each person their own song. By placing these working-class individuals at the center of his epic poem, he broke with the tradition of focusing on kings, gods, or mythic heroes. This was an act of courage that validated the lives of the American people.

Celebrating the Human Body: Whitman's courage was particularly evident in his treatment of the human body and sexuality. In "I Sing the Body Electric," he writes with a frankness that was shocking for his time, describing and celebrating the body in all its forms. He writes, "The press of my foot to the earth, it is as a contact with spirits." He goes on to praise not just beauty but also strength, age, and sexuality without shame. This was a direct challenge to the prudish, repressed social norms of the Victorian era.

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Welcome to Celebrate Creativity - My name is George Bartley and this is episode 432 - Flowing and Swelling

This episode is the second in a series of podcast episodes about Walt Whitman’s unique approach to free verse.

Now a good example of Walt Whitman's free verse - one that celebrates the messy, vibrant, and expansive reality of the modern world is from "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry." In this poem, he captures the sensory experience of a daily commute, blending the sublime with the mundane.

"Flowing and swelling, swelling and flowing,"
"The current rushes on, the men and women crowd the deck,"
"The flags and pennants, the masts, the white gulls, the dark water,"
"The fine-pointed towers of the new city rise to the sky,"
"The steam-boats passing, the bell-tolls, the cries of the men, the girls' laughter."

This passage is a prime example of his free verse. It lacks a consistent meter or rhyme scheme. Instead, the lines flow with a natural, organic rhythm, much like the ferry's movement. He uses a long, sprawling line to fit in a multitude of images: the natural current, the diverse crowd, the man-made "towers," and the cacophony of modern city life. Whitman's democratic vision is also at play here, as he places the "men and women" alongside the "gulls" and "steam-boats," giving each element equal importance in this vibrant, modern scene.

Walt Whitman often blended everyday language with elevated language, creating a style that was both democratic and epic. This elevated language drew inspiration from sources such as the Bible, opera, and classical literature, giving his poems a sense of grandeur and timelessness. He used these high-flown words and phrases to elevate the common person and everyday American life to a heroic, almost spiritual, level.

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Welcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 431 - A Patient Spider

From a week of Shakespeare to a series of podcast episodes about Walt Whitman - not as big jump as you might think.

You see, Walt Whitman and William Shakespeare are two of the most influential poets in the English language, and while they lived in different eras and had vastly different styles, they share some key commonalities. Both poets are renowned for their profound impact on literature, and their works are considered foundational to their respective traditions.

Both writers explored similar universal themes and used powerful literary techniques to do so. So much has been written about Walt Whitman's free verse - in other words - poetry that doesn't rhyme - that it would be impossible to do it justice in several episodes. But in this and the following episodes, I want to examine Walt Whitman’s use of free verse.

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Welcome to Celebrate Creativity - Episode 431 - Yesterday and Tomorrow

I mentioned that it was necessary to have a list of name signs when signing a play by William Shakespeare in an earlier podcast episode. And I want to say a final note about that here. What I always did when interpreting a play at the black fires Playhouse, I printed a sheet on my computer with ready set go - I doubt that anybody remembers that - a page making program where I could have eight or 10 pictures of various cast members and the name sign that I had given to that character. Obviously there wouldn't be enough room to have name signs for all the characters, but I would definitely have name signs for say major characters like Romeo, Juliet, or Hamlet. I took about 10 minutes at the beginning of the play to introduce the name signs of the major characters, but found that you couldn't always depend on every member of the deaf audience to be there on time. So This was especially a big help for deaf people who might've come in late. And I always printed enough to give a copy of the name signs to members of the cast - they always appreciated it and said they would put it in their scrapbook. I have found - no outstanding observation here - but it is always a good idea to stay on good terms with the cast and director. I remember one time the director of a play was introducing me to a group - he said this is George Bartley - he is greatly beloved by our cast - I thought to myself, this is the first Time I have ever been called beloved - I've been called stubborn many many times - but never beloved.

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