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Friday, October 02, 2009

till better flounder




















bail bail till better
founder

So runs an uncollected late poem included in the new Beckett Selected Poems 1930-1989. What the notes to this edition don’t tell you, however, is that the poem began as Beckett’s attempt to write an advertising slogan for a charity that helped the partially sighted:

Braille Braille till better
blinder

A second draft played on Beckett’s love of a certain Belgian singer-songwriter, who he felt deserved more airplay on French radio:

Brel Brel till better
blander

While another again recorded his impressions of the fish suppers he scoffed on a trip to Hull:

brill brill till better
flounder

‘till battered flounder’ even, perhaps. Any other suggestions? Go on, you know you want to.

5 comments:

Mark Granier said...

bull bull till better
shit

Mrs. Brady, Old Lady said...

On sprouts:



boil boil till bitter
blunder

Tim Kendall said...

broil broil till batter
crisper

sean lysaght said...

blair blair till better
founder

Anne said...

A charity report:

bill bill till bitter
funder


and the wayward:

trill trill till eulen
spiegel