Julian of Norwich - writing exercise

[ussusimiel]

As I was working on the Julian of Norwich text for my friend, I found an interesting way to engage with it. I used a technique adapted from one developed by John Cage called 'writing through' (here's an example of his from Ginsberg's 'Howl'). Basically what you do is go through the text picking out words and either using those words or your response to them to write a poem.

Here's an example of what I got from one of the pieces, feel free to have a go with this text yourself. (The words in blue are my responses):

The iid came to my mind with (Holy bruise) contrition freely
(I want to feel) deʃiring that (that pain) ʃickneʃʃ ʃo (so badly)
hard as to the (I would die) death that I might in that
ʃick//neʃs receive all my (My change) rites of the holy
Church my (self) ʃelf think that I (should) ʃhould (die)
die, and that all creatures might ʃuppoʃe the ʃame that
ʃaw me for I would have no manner of (to comfort)
comfort of earthly life. In this ʃickneʃʃ I (I want to feel)
deʃired to have all manner of pains (in my body) bodily
and (in my ghost) ghoʃtly that I ʃhould have if I ʃhould
die with all the (terror) dreads and (time’s speed)
tempeʃts of the (of hate) fiends except the (for my
ending) outpaʃʃing of the soul….

Here's the poem lifted out of the text.

Holy bruise

I want to feel
that pain
so badly
I would die.
My change,
self
should
die
to comfort.
I want to feel
in my body,
in my ghost,
terror
and time’s speed
of hate
for my ending.

Here's some of the text I posted in the other Julian thread. Have a go at your own 'writing through'.

............................................grace of god• I
thought I would have been in that time with wt
magdalene and wt others that were Chriʃt’s lovers)
that I might have ʃeen bodily the pa//ʃʃion that our
lord ʃuffered for me• that I might haue ʃuffered with
him as others who did that loved him• (and
ther/fore I Deʃired a bodily ʃight wherin I might have
more knowledge of the bodily^pains of our saviour•
and of the compaʃʃion of our lady• and of all his true
lovers that) were living at (that time and ʃaw his
pains• for I would) have (be one of them and) have
(ʃuffered wt them•

u.

[aliantha]

Pagan Thoughts on Mary Magdalene

Would that I had been
Magdalene
and seen Christ's passion
with my own eyes.
Then I might know
what he suffered
for his followers,
and who loved the man
as did I.


Bleah. Too literal, probably.

[ussusimiel]

Not bad, ali. As you say, a bit literal, with only a small amount of your own response involved.

I've a couple of approaches to this one. The first is an attempt to show the poetry that is already latent in Julian's writing:

Grace of god

I thought I would have been
wt magdalene
and wt others
that were Chriʃt’s lovers.

I might have ʃeen
bodily the paʃʃion
that I might haue ʃuffered
with him as others
who loved him.

I Deʃired

a bodily ʃight
wherin I might
have more knowledge
of the bodily^pains
of our saviour

and of the compaʃʃion
of our lady
and of all his true lovers
for I would be

one of them

And a more personal response:

Undeserved mercy of a reformed prostitute

I have seen the ardent love
that can be borne.
Can I endure
what I have so lacked?
The feeling again of woman.

u.

[EDIT: to tidy up a phrase.]

[aliantha]

Suspicions confirmed: you're much better at this than I am.

Edited to add a bit of encouragement from the Guardians of the Galaxy.