Chang Tzu's Butterfly

The sunlight with its alchoholic dew

Has charmed my eyes to blink aside the day

And when it ope'd the night was choking vapor

And mortal panic ticked away the seconds

Was I meant...

To toil my nights and rest my days?

To dream my life and live my dreams?

1- Anstey on May 13 2008 - Edit · Delete

The sunlight with its alchoholic dew
Has charmed my eyes to blink aside the day
And when it ope'd the night was choking vapor
And mortal panic ticked away the seconds

Was I meant...

To toil my nights and rest my days?
To dream my life and live my dreams?

I am not sure I understand the first line, but it's itneresting nonetheless. the third line I'd rather see you get rid of the 'and' and expand the opened. Why is it 'it' there -- wouldn't it be 'they' (two eyes?) in L4 could the 'and' be 'my'?

The last bit is interesting. Not unthought of, but interestingly put. There is a somewhat eastern feel to the ending sentiment, I think. Though, perhaps that's more 19th century German philosophy than Eastern.

2- ShannonV on May 13 2008 - Edit · Delete

oh, i think this is beautiful. i love the first line, though like anstey i'm not sure what it means precisely. well.. it conjures a certain image in my mind but i'm not entirely sure what YOU meant by it.

i googled chang tzu becuse i didn't know who that was, and now i do, but i still don't understand the title really. i'm a bit curious.

but yes. i think this is beautiful. my only suggestion.. make it longer? because i want more. so.. that's not a real suggesiton.

3- Limeymcfrog on May 14 2008 - Edit · Delete

Chang Tzu is famous for saying that he once had a dream of being a butterfly that was so vivid that he couldn't tell if he was a man dreaming that he was a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming he was a man.

As for my meaning, I always feel a bit of a failure when I have to explain it, but I realize this is a rather opaque piece. I'm saying that I spend my days in a stupor, wishing I could sleep and when night comes I can't sleep which disorients me so I feel like Chang Tzu with his butterfly.

Again, that's my meaning... but I believe when a poet writes a piece he or she hands it over to the reader. So, while that was my intent, I consider it no more or less valid than the reader's interpretation. (I had a very gung-ho creative writing teacher)

4- Anstey on May 14 2008 - Edit · Delete

I will never agree with that sentiment, however, I got the meaning of the piece as a whole, just that first line tripped me. IMO, the writer's meaning is always more valid than the audience's interpretation.

4 comments