The soul's comedy - 2

Third Scene

( While the cries slow down, Dante and Virgil reappear in the scene; a mute  video keeps on showing the bargains in the stock exchange’s hall)

Virgil

-          Have you got them?

Dante (in an embarrassed tone of voice)

                - I can’t really understand what’s  going on over there, master???

Virgil (sighing)

                - They are making money...

Dante (a bit perplexed)

                - Do you mean, they are sort of landlords bankers???

Virgil

                - I didn't say that my son! They are actually mostly inventing money than producing it. They produce nothingness as matter of fact… I mean: not material stuffs…

Dante

                - I beg your pardon, sir, but I'm afraid I can't get the meaning of it!

Virgil

                - Of course you can't, my son!! It's not easy for anybody to understand. Listen to me, I'll try to explain to you the difference between production and speculation, real creation and virtual richness!  If you write a good book, for instance, and you sell it to a firm to be published and then the book is  sold in the shops: the buyers have a book in their hands; you, the editors ,the book sellers and all the people involved in the business share the profits; is that clear up to now?

Dante

                - Very clear indeed, master!

Virgil

                - That's right! Let's suppose  now  that your publisher hasn't got the  money  to publish your book!

How can he get it?

Dante

                - He goes to a Bank, I might suppose!

Virgil

                -And so do I, my son! But what happens if the banker hasn't got enough money himself?

Dante

                - I suppose my book won't see the light yet!!

Virgil

                - It might be right, my son! Unless you don't consider the role played by those guys up there (he shows the stocks exchangers)

Dante (perplexed)

                - I'm sorry, master, but I'm still blind...

Virgil

                - Never mind it! Just follow me for a little more! The banker goes to those guys (he points out the stocks exchangers again) and asks them to sell the idea of publishing your book to the savers! 'You know what savers are, don't you my son?

Dante (readily)

                - Well, they are people who have more money than they need to live through!

Virgil

                - Correct, my son!

Dante

                - And of course they want their money to be safe for future needs!!

Virgil

                - That's still correct, my son!!! Put it like that: the savers trust the bankers and the stocks exchangers;  they even trust you and  your writing's skills! But this would not be a problem: financial investors have more instruments to convince savers in order to reach their targets! I'll show you later how a magic box  can wash people's brains just staying at home!!!

Dante (trying to understand)

                - So the banker asks the stocks exchanger to ask the savers to buy the idea of publishing my books...

Virgil

                - Yes, that's it!!! There are plenty of instruments: the publisher might have emitted some titles to guarantee the credits and the savers will buy those titles; or they can buy the future profits which are expected from the selling  of your books; they can even just lend their money on the promise of an interest to be paid...

Dante

                - And this money is given to the banker and borrowed by my publisher...

Virgil

                ... who publishes and distributes your books all over the world!!!

Dante

                - All over the world,  master?

Virgil

                - Of course! Can't you write a latin book to be sold all over the world?

Dante

                - Well, I suppose I can do it, master!!

Virgil

                - Well! And that's your first book, is n't it?

Dante

                - Yes, master! Though I don't see nothing wrong on it...

Virgil

                - But this is only the beginning, my son!!!

Dante

                - What do you mean , master?

Virgil

                - I mean that now, those guys (indicates the stokes exchangers like before) can ask the savers to buy your next book...

Dante

                - But I have just written my first one!!!

Virgil

                - It doesn't really matter my son!!! They will sell all the goods not yet produced like the wheat just seeded and all the events on the future to come!!!

Dante (very surprised)

                - Will they?

Virgil

                - And that's still nothing! If a firm is worth one million they can increase its value, just up there (shows the busy guys in the stocks exchange once again) up to ten or to  hundred  millions, though its real value is still just one thousand!! And that's thanks to the trust of people, 'till the game goes on!!!

Dante

                - Now I know master, what you meant, when you told me the guys over there make money from nothing!!!

Virgil

                - I'm glad you did it, my son!!! Come on, now, let's leave these incontinent people and go to the lower states!!!

Dante

-          Where shall we go master?

Virgil

-          Well, I think you know, my son, that human heart is basically affected by two evil tendencies: the incontinence and the mischief…

Dante

-          I believe it upon your word master!!!

Virgil

-          And you surely know too, that mischief people can be divided into violent and fraudulent mischief, don’t you?

Dante

-          Of course I do master!

Virgil

-          Very well!!! Then I’ll tell you that were are going to complete the visit of first five circles where are convicted stingey,  lustfuls,  greedies,  irascible, slothful, prodigals and so on… You have already had a fore view, aint you?

... to be continued...

A Manifesto for a new Magazine

Ars Poetica Magazine is a new literary review for classic and modern poetry, edited both in english and italian languages. 

The first number will be issued very soon. The magazine won'nt follow a regular,   periodic publication but it will be issued as we need. 

The name of the Magazine has been chosen thinkink at the contents of  the Horace's work (also known as the Epistle to Piso) incredibly pungent and present after more than 2000 years.  

The work attracted the attention of Giacomo Leopardi who made i , in 1811 , a fine octave transposition in rhyme. 

 Our references will so swing between these two great poets: Horace and Leopardi.

This does not mean that our magazine won't take in the right count other great poets like Dante, Tasso, Ariosto or Manzoni; neither we aim to slide over the greatness of such a literary giants as Shakespeare, Donne, Milton, Byron or Dickinson. But the two orienting poles will be the latin poet from Venosa and

the great recanatian author of the "Infinito" and of the transposition of the horacian  "Ars Poetica".

Nowdays there are so many poets writing so many poems so much long! And all seems to be so easy!

That's due to the general literacy which took place in the last century and there is nothing bad on it.

Nevertheless there is a precious heritage of poetic culture which is on risk to be lost.

Words are  like  rough stones: before they become verses or poetry, they need to be smoothed like river's stones.

Horace uses a more efficient metaphore in his epistole to Piso:" If you want to deserve altars or temples / wait at least nine years, dear brother / before to publish your poems/and work on them as blacksmith does to make the iron shape!!! " And forward in the poem: " But if you are in  search of  honor and praise / writing four verses, oh Piso  / show them to your  parents or to a wise and good censor ;/ keep them locked up for a long time / for if a man has once ever escaped/  he's not  coming back never indeed ! "

 Of great poets of the past I appreciate their skill on shortness and synthesis. A skill that does not belong to free versifiers of present days. and neither they seem to shine for rhyming. Again with the Horace's words:

" Meanwhile, everyone is kindly asked to be short  / and either delight or to be useful in his rhymes! "

Of course I don't have nothing against blank verses or free versifiers; but I think that poetry has paid a price for the democrat diffusion of popular literacy. The quantity gained by poetry in width has been lost in depth.

So many writers confuse poetry and prose misregarding of any distinction. So, some writers, who could be so cool in prose,, become, with Horace's words, cruel poets:

" We can tolerate mediocrity in anything ;/ but not in  poetry: thus in honey /  choosey mouths do not like   / a bitter almond  inside . / The best would be to write on prose / if a versifier  is just too cruel / as the football player leaves balloon and balls / and  abandon the disc who is not too strong!

Metric patterns and poetic structures are not cages for prisoners but frames which bound to freedom and liberty is not equal to anarchy.

Poetry is nourishment for the souls and souls need only distilled food.

But whom readers does our Magazine apply to?

First of all we would like to recall those who love  poetry metrical structures (both poets or just readers); a poetry framed into patterns like terza rima, octaves and whatelse is made by syllables with the right accents.

Secondly our Magazine would like to approach the  Italian who live abroad (specially those who live in English speaking countries but not only them); either because they have emigrated or they live in foreign countries for different reasons; 

Finally everyone who wants to have a free change of ideas, even with those who might have different points sf view, are welcome for reading, commenting or contributing to our Magazine.

We'll give information of the web site publishing the contents of Ars Poetica Magazine, as soon as we are ready for publication.

I hope you'll be joining us for sharing time and ideas together. In the meantime, I wish all the best on your life.