Ben McManus: Susanna and Peter Quince at the Clavier

Ben McManus

Susanna and Peter Quince at the Clavier

I don’t really understand poetry. I guess I wish I did, but for whatever reason it doesn’t speak to me. It doesn’t enrich my perception of life the way movies and books can, it doesn’t satisfy some abstract pleasure the way music can, and it doesn’t entertain me. All the same, I shall try and connect the story of Susanna to the poem “Peter Quince at the Clavier.”

The story of Susana is fairly strait forward, especially for being a Bible story. The Elders fall victim to lust for Susanna. They try to compensate for their sin with another sin, and ultimately are put to death as a result of some clever detective work by Daniel. It’s a suspenseful story with a satisfying payoff. It also has a little bit of a moral statement regarding the dangers of voyeurism and baring false witness. Great. I’m down with this.

The poem seems odd to me. I guess it’s trying to improve the emotional flow of Susanna’s story by incorporating a sense of music to the description. I guess music’s more in tune with feeling. But then, why didn’t this guy just write a song? It sounds to me like he really likes music and maybe wishes he could play music, but is forever banished to words and so he’s just doing the best he can. I really have no idea. I’m not mad at the guy. I’m sure it’s a nice poem, but maybe he should pick up an instrument? Something simple, like a harmonica? Just a thought. Anyway, I did like getting a more internal rendition of the story. Susana’s story, like so many in the Bible, has a lot going on under the surface, but doesn’t really go into any detail. Wallace’s poem seems to lament more about the internal pains of lust and what it can inspire. So that’s fun. I’ll read the poem again tomorrow and see if maybe it clicks or what ever it is that happens to people when they fall in love with poetry.