Discourses of Violence (Girard)

[Robert Chandler]

Dear all,

I have been following the debate with interest, but it is odd what strict
parameters we put on the nature of our discourse.

The literary and history examples we discuss are all Russian, the theory we
bring in is nearly all French; only the technology we use is American.  How
odd that, even when central participants in the debate seem to live in
California, no one mentions the great Californian poet, Robinson Jeffers.

I am sure Girard's book is of great interest, but I should be surprised if
he has said much more than Robinson Jeffers in his short poem 'The Bloody
Sire'.

Stark violence is still the sire of all the world's values.
(...) 
What but the wolf's tooth whittled so fine
The fleet limbs of the antelope?
What but fear winged the birds, and hunger
Jewelled with such eyes the great goshawk's head?
Violence has been the sire of all the world's values.

Who would remember Helen's face
Lacking the terrible halo of spears?

The last two lines in particular bring together violence, beauty and the
sacred with unforgettable power.  Helen Vendler quotes this passage in a
recent book with disapproval, using it to illustrate Robinson's disturbed
psyche.  Unfortunately, these lines are both beautiful and all-too true; the
only untruth is the exaggerated 'all' in 'all the world's values'.

Poka,

R.

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