So it seems that I owe Walt Whitman a debt of gratitude. I did not understand, fully, his contribution to Free Verse--the fact that he manipulated syntax in lieu of rhyme and meter and predictable line length. He did say that he was "large" and that he "contained multitudes," so it makes sense that he was the king of the long poetic line.

Ms. Dickinson, microcosmic and clipped, hinted at the teeming world within her by saying, "see how the whole universe is captured in a rain drop." She didn't actually say that, but that is the effect of her work. The most small element of anything reflects the larger context. Her poem "After Great Pain, A Formal Feeling Comes," is especially meaningful to me.

After Jarmusch, I decided to give myself a break from obscure, esoteric filmology and have been watching the popular and acclaimed "Sex and the City," beginning with season 1,on dvd. Well, I watched all of season 6 first, because I was familiar enough with the characters and their storylines that the unfolding final year had a context for me. Prior to this, the last time I had seen the show was when I lived in Montgomery County. Season 3 or 4, perhaps. In any case, now I finally know how things with Mr. Big began, and innumerable other gaps have been filled in. Besides, for reasons that have nothing to do with sex, it was a terrific show.

Am a bit bummed. I took the "Which Beatle Are You?" quiz this morning, but the results photo would not display properly on my blog. As it turns out, I am George Harrison.