Malice Un-forethought, Wizard Award ~ A poem Options

[Guest_Jox_*]

© James Oxenholme, 2005. I, James Oxenholme, do assert my right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with Sections 77 and 78 of The Copyrights, Designs And Patents Act, 1988. (Laws of Cymru & England, as recognised by international treaties). This work was simultaneously copyrighted in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. This work is posted as an unpublished work in order to elicit critical assistance and other helpful comment, only.

Ref: TC 0359 AD (Thanks, Fran, Dani, Nina and Alan )


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Malice Un-forethought
by TC

Prometheus, a modern man,
forged in heat and fire:
a hundred-thousand volts
powered his electric birth.

I shall call you St. Norme:
You shall have a saintly future;
a normality for all humankind.

Limbs working; voice talking,
he strode across the land.
A man of parts lived in him,
yet he only existed in them.

Yearned to be whole:
as the race from which
he’d been forged.

Though people shun
such different men:
at best to be ignored.

Asylum denied.
Dejected, he turned to his God:
Why have you rejected me?

The good doctor, gone bad,
could only weep:
You are a race apart;
different: a threat.

So St. Norme turned:
he fought against all.
Love, companionship denied:
others’ lives, liberty he took.

From conception, he had
no chance; no future.
He changed his ways, his name
to become what they made him.

Hope begat misery;
desire begat slavery;
destiny begat tyranny.

St. Norme begat the Monster.

(end)

=========================================
TC 0359 AC

Malice Un-forethought
by TC

Prometheus, a modern man
forged in heat and fire:
a hundred-thousand volts
powered his electric birth.

I shall call you St. Norme:
You shall have a saintly future;
a normality for all humankind.

Limbs working; voice talking,
he strode across the land.
A man of parts, lived in him,
yet he only existed in them.

Yearned to be whole;
of the race from
whence he’d been forged.

Though people shun
such different men:
at best to be ignored.

Asylum denied, dejected
he turned, to his God:
Why have you rejected me?

The good doctor, gone bad,
could only weep:
You are a race apart;
different: a threat.

So St. Norme turned:
against all he fought.
Love, companionship denied:
others’ life, liberty he took.

From inception, he had
no chance; no future.
He changed his ways, his name
to become what they made him.

Hope begat misery;
desire begat slavery;
destiny begat tyranny.

St. Norme begat the Monster.

(end)

====================================

NB: "The Modern Prometheus" is the sub-title of the gothic horror novel, "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley - which bears little relationship in its portrayal of the Monster to most films (save Kenneth Brannagh's).

NB2: the original Prometheus was the chap who stole fire (amongst other things) from the Greek gods and gave it to mankind. They were rather hacked-off by his behaviour.

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[Guest_Jox_*]

>>Good morning James,

Good morning to you, Grace.

Thank you very much indeed for popping in here. Much appreciated.

>>Frankenstein's monster rears his ugly head again?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

>>These observations are only made on my poor recollection of the story James. Perhaps you could let me know where I have misinterpreted your very strong  and compelling piece?

I've read through your comments, Grace and I think you've based your response on the films, not the book. I'll show why when we come to the points. However, as I said to Alan, the films are almost all a terrible travesty of the book. There are two exceptions (one I have forgotten the name of) the other is Kenneth Brannagh's version. All the B&W gothic horrors and the Hammer films are only vaguely based on the book and omit all the important aspects - eg pathos, sadness for the Monster, being isolated etc etc. The Monster is the victim in the book.

Malice Un-forethought
by TC

>>Good title James. well thought out. :rofl:

Thank you. It means that the Monster had no innate malice; it was injected into him by humans.

Prometheus, a modern man,
forged in heat and fire:
a hundred-thousand volts
powered his electric birth.

>>Throw the switch Igor!

The lightening yes. But there is no "Igor" in Frankenstein - maybe in some of the films?

I shall call you St. Norme:
You shall have a saintly future;
a normality for all humankind.

>>(Extract from reply to Fran)    So St. Norme is the perfect average?
>>ST Norme - I think he was meant to be. Meant to blend-in. Didn’t work that way.)
>>Hardly created to blend in James I’d say. A seven foot giant with a bolt through his neck??

No bolt through his neck, I’m afraid, Grace. Again, a Hollywood interpretation.
He was meant to be a “normal” man, yes.

Limbs working; voice talking,
he strode across the land.
A man of parts lived in him,
yet he only existed in them.

Yearned to be whole:
as the race from which
he’d been forged.

>>L1 I don’t think he was capable of reasonable thought James, certainly not emotional thought.

Ah! That is the whole basis of the pathos in the book, Grace. He suffered mental anguish. He was logical, emotional. He had a very human brain in a deformed body - Shelley’s central tenant in all this. I’d urge you to read the book - forget the crass films. (Or see Brannagh’s version “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein”)

Though people shun
such different men:
at best to be ignored.

Asylum denied.
Dejected, he turned to his God:
Why have you rejected me?

>>Don’t understand how he could turn to a God of whom he had no knowledge James. Or have I got the story wrong?

He would have known of God because he had a human brain. But I didn’t mean that, His God - his creator - was Dr Frankenstein.

The good doctor, gone bad,
could only weep:
You are a race apart;  (cliche)
different: a threat.

Thanks. Possibly a cliche, yes. But employed in speech here.

So St. Norme turned:
he fought against all.
Love, companionship denied:
others’ lives, liberty he took.

From conception, he had
no chance; no future.
He changed his ways, his name
to become what they made him.

Hope begat misery;
desire begat slavery;
destiny begat tyranny.

St. Norme begat the Monster.

I thought St Norme WAS the monster?

Yes he was. But he was made monstrous by people. When created he was flesh and blood. People rejected that and begat the monster. Think of a child. We all have the potential for evil (I think) so what can tip on child into being an evil adult? People’s treatment of them. Thus with St.Norme becoming the Monster.

>>You certainly have the knack to provoke thought James, which is great.  :claps:

Thank you, Grace; much appreciated.

Hope this all makes sense? Please let me know if not.

Here is a link to an on-line version of the book:

http://www.sangfroid.com/frank/

Chapter V is the Monster’s birth.

Best wishes, Grace and thank you, again.