The World Up Close

One of the beautiful things that a macro lens makes possible is that
of bringing the world of the very small up to our own scale of being.
It is in this way, much as we with time slow down a fast moving
car to make it visible, that space can be enlarged or 'blown up', as
the expression goes, so that we may consider it more closely.

Indeed, in Western thought, it could be argued that we have come
to see the whole of the world in this way—that is, as something that
can be slowed down or made larger at our convenience. And what is
more, we have by now come to believe very strongly that there
is no limit to this way of looking. The idea is that, if we continue
the process of magnification long enough, it is only a matter of time
until we reach rock bottom, so to speak, and reveal to our eyes
the basic building blocks of reality. Of course, depending on the
particular context and our point of view, this need not necessarily
be the case. For just as outerspace might go on without limit,
innerspace might do so as well. Like the proverbial philosopher's
stick, capable of being cut in half—or of being brought up twice
as close, without limit, the world of the extremely small may very
well go on without ever reaching a terminal point or conclusion.


Whatever may be the case, personally I feel more at home
pondering what I think of as the magical middle realm of everyday
experience. And here, just a simple additional lens on a camera
can indeed reveal wonders—and lessons— to the eye. For example,
with the Alpine Soldanelas pictured above—one of the first flowers
to appear after snowmelt at about treeline—notice how we can now
with the close-up see the delicate fringe of the fused petals. (One can
however still make out the characteristic 5-pattern of the Primula
family, of which this species is a member.) And notice, too, how
the down-turning petals are complemented in form by the pointed,
recurved sepals and the long, out-reaching style with its stigma,
all highlighted in a rich darker purple. If one experiences form as
rhythm and movement in this way, it's hard to see how it would
not awaken in us a new sense of form in both music and poetry
as well. And, again, it is but a simple lens that brings this enchanting
world home to us.

In poetry, something similar takes place within the space of, for
example, the short poem. In the miniatures of contemporary poetry,
many of which were made possible by the energetic, fresh voice
which burst upon the scene with the 20th century English translations
of Chinese and Japanese classics, we frequently encounter a single
detail, a single experience, close up, as it were. (One might also note
here in this context that Dutch, as a language with a very tight
and relatively simple grammar, in contrast to German with its
highly complex inflected structures, lends itself extremely well to
this sparse style of expression.)


In the eight pieces I've brought together here in English translation,
in addition to this intimate, close-up effect, there is also a remarkable
intentional incompleteness which the reader/listener encounters.
We are given one half, or one side or part, of a situation which we
must then somehow by means of our own imagination complete
or make whole.

At the very center of the sequence of eight poems, you'll find Gerrit
Achterberg's Telephone. It is a haunting piece. Here, we ex-
perience, together with the poet, close up the nature of traumatic,
irreversible loss. It is remarkable that this is the very kind of emotion
that Hollywood and television try so hard—many would say
largely unsuccessfully—using every imaginable trick, to make
real for us. The poem, in contrast, makes its mark with but a single
powerful gesture: the hiss of the lost belovèd`s broken connection
becomes the timeless— and terrifyingly unchanging—sound
of eternity. [see recording below...]

Again, the power of the image is somehow related to the fact
that Achterberg brings it up close to us, offers it to us in such
an intimate way, as it were. But in the case of the poem, in
distinction to, for example, commercial films which have by
and large become so grossly literal and explicitly realistic, we
ourselves must do the work of bringing it to life, and thereby
make it wholly our own. I feel that's one of the things that gives
poetry its great potential depth. It is as if cinema, as it invites us on
a storylike journey as every poem or movie does, insists on making
each step and each turn for us, leaving nothing implicit. In poetry,
however, we have to do the walking ourselves. And sometimes,
something unexpected and of striking beauty—like an ephemeral
flower of spring—catches our eye and will have us stop and
ponder it — up close — for a while.

| view / print Picture/Poem Poster: Meltwater (Ida Gerhardt) (86 K) | or download as PDF |

(2) Nederland wil 'groenere' veehouderij (9.IV.01) "De overgrote meerderheid van de Nederlanders vindt dat de intensieve veehouderij op een andere manier moet worden georganiseerd. Acht van de tien mensen vinden dat ziektes als de varkenspest, BSE en mond- en klauwzeer aantonen dat het roer om moet. De consument is bereid een hogere prijs voor vlees te betalen, als dat betekent dat er op een groenere manier wordt geproduceerd. [...] Onder de boeren steunen bijna vijf van de tien ondervraagden een radicale ommezwaai.

(2) The Netherlands will 'greener' animal husbandry (IV.9.01) "The vast majority of Dutch think that present in- dustrial animal farming has to be organized diffe- rently. Eight out of ten people think that diseases like swine fever, BSE and foot-and-mouth demon- strate the need for a fundamental change of direction. Consumers are willing to pay higher price for meat if that means it has been produced in a more eco- friendly way. [...] Among farmers, five out of ten of those questioned would support radical changes in current agricultural practice."

(3) Senaat aanvaardt euthanasiewet (10.IV.01) 'Nederland krijgt als eerste land ter wereld wet-   geving die actieve euthanasie regelt. De Eerste Kamer heeft in grote meerderheid ingestemd met het wetsvoorstel. [...]

(3) [Dutch] Senate approves euthanasia law (IV.10.01) "The Netherlands is to be the first country in the world with a legal structure that regulates the prac- tice of euthanasia. The first house of parliament voted with a large majority for the legislation."

(4) MTV koopt concurrent-muziekzender TMF (10.IV.01) "Het Amerikaanse muziektelevisiestation MTV koopt concurrent TMF van uitgever Wegener. Daarmee krijgt MTV de populairste muziekzender van Nederland in handen.' [...]

(4) MTV buys competing music broadcaster TMF (IV.10.01) "The American music cable-television station MTV has bought TMF from the [Dutch] publisher, Wegener. With this acquisition, MTV, now controls the most popular music station in Holland." [...]

(5) Verloving Willem-Alexander en Maxima massaal bekeken (31.III.01) 'De Nederlandse bevolking heeft vrijdagavond massaal gekeken naar het televisieverslag van de verloving van kroonprins Willem-Alexander en Maxima. Tussen zeven uur en half acht 's avonds, toen het aanstaande paar zich presenteerde aan het Nederlandse volk, zaten vijf miljoen mensen voor de televisie.'

(5) Engagement of Willem-Allexander and Maxima viewed by millions (III.31.01) "Friday evening, a large part of the Dutch population watched the television report of the engagement of crown prince Willem-Alexander and Maxima. [Holland is at present a constitutional monarchy.] Between seven and eight in the evening, as the future couple presented themselves to people of Holland, some five million viewers [about a third of the population] were seated in front of their sets."

(6) Simonis hoopt dat Maxima rooms- katholiek blijft 'Kardinaal Simonis hoopt dat Maxima rooms- katholiek blijft. Simonis zei 'niet graag te zien' dat ze toetreedt tot de Nederlands Hervormde Kerk,' [...]

(6) Simonis hopes that Maxima will remain Roman Catholic "Cardinal Simonis hopes that Maxima [see above] will remain Roman Catholic. Simonis said that he 'wouldn't like to see' her convert to the Dutch Reformed Church, [...]

(7) Eerste homo-stellen getrouwd in Amsterdam (1.IV.01) 'In Amsterdam zijn kort na middernacht de eerste   vier homo- en lesbische paren in het huwelijk getreden. Burgemeester Job Cohen verrichte de plechtigheid.'

(7) First gay couples married in Amsterdam (IV.1.01) "Shortly after midnight in Amsterdam the first four gay and lesbian couples entered wedlock. Mayor Job Cohen performed the ceremony."

(8) Amerikanen leren voor molenaar (14.III.01) 'Een groep van tien Amerikanen uit Illinois is in   Nederland om het beroep van molenaar te leren. De Amerikanen zijn van Nederlandse oorsprong. Zij hebben in hun thuisstad Fulton een Hollandse windmolen laten bouwen die ze willen leren gebruiken.' [...]

(8) Americans study to be windmiller (IV.14.01) "A group of ten Americans from the state of Illinois is in Holland to study the profession of windmiller. The Americans are all of Dutch origin. In their home city of Fulton, they've had a Dutch windmill constructed which they would like to learn how to use." [...]

(9) Duyfken terug na vier eeuwen (14.III.01) 'Het in Australie nagebouwde Nederlandse ont- dekkingsschip 'De Duyfken' komt volgend jaar naar Nederland. [...] Kapitein Willem Janszoon ontdekte Australie met 'De Duyfken' in 1606.' © 2001 Radio Nederland Wereldomroep

(9) Duyfken returns after four centuries (IV.14..01) "The in Australia reconstructed Dutch discovery ship, "The Duyfken", will sail to Holland next year. [...] Captain Willem Janszoon discovered Australia with "The Duyfken" in 1606." [...] (all tr. Cliff Crego)

See also: new

"Straight roads, Slow rivers, Deep clay."

A collection of contemporary Dutch poetry in English translation, with commentary and photographs by Cliff Crego

See also another website by Cliff Crego: The Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke

A presentation of 80 of the best poems of Rilke in both German and new English translations: biography, links, posters