 Cover page | |
| Author | Alice Notley |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Philip Whalen |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Publisher | "C" Press Publications |
Publication date | 1971 |
| Publication place | United States |
165 Meeting House Lane
edit165 Meeting House Lane is a collection of 24 sonnets by the American poet Alice Notley. It is Alice Notley's first book. During the winter of 1970-71, Notley and Berrigan lived on Long Island, New York, and the title of this book is the address of their house on Long Island. The poems in this book are based on a book by Edwin Dunby. Notley dedicated this book to James Schuyler, Anne and Fairfield Porter, and Tom Clark.
Publication
editThis book was published by “C” Press Publications in 1971, which are edited by Ted Berrigan. The single limited edition consisted of 250 copies mimeographed with front and back covers by the poet Philip Walen. There are four copies that are cloth bound and contain covers original drawings and photographs of the poet. The publication of this book was supported by the Poetry Project at St.Marks Church.
Analysis
editNotley desires to live in her dreams rather than experience the mundane occurrences of reality. This book revolves around the theme of dreams vs. reality. The poems in this collection alternate between describing Notley's dreams and reality. The style of some of the poems resembles a journal entry by describing daily routine activities and events that typically occur in the day-to-day lives of people. Notley explores the possibility of dreams existing as a part of our material world rather than as mere figments of our imagination.
I dreamed of a clipper ship
Gold on blue THE CHASEY ALICE
Until he'd see which Captain You said
He'd seen nothing. I woke bold
Chased you to get caught in the hold
Back to sleep 2 nightmares
Solid ones down not wanting to be told
Woke not wanting to be in life
Wasn't, outside warmed
To my blood clean cold quickened
On the way to town for food and
Back for you, though I was still
A little sulky & grim
So you fucked me back in
In this excerpt from 165 Meeting House Lane, Notley describes nightmares as being "solid", which goes back to the concept of dreams existing as a part of the material world. The concept of materiality is present throughout the book. The first half of "6" from 165 Meeting House Lane consists entirely of a sequence of material objects, and majority of these objects such as "creamed-corn" and "bile" are not typically incorporated into poems. She uses the theme of materiality to portray the real world in an uninteresting and monotonous way. In poem "3", she says, "Who wants an old velvet dress good brown / 50 postcards of old little girls and such anyway?" The line "Woke not wanting to be in life" shows Notley's aversion to towards the real world.
It seems as though the only part of the real world that Notley believes is desirable is her relationship with her husband Ted Berrigan. Notley describes her relationship with her husband Berrigan in various poems, and she describes it in a playful and youthful way. In poem "11", she discusses her relationship with Berrigan by saying "Sometimes you asleep / I go there to be with you / Love's my lazy streak, Ill love / Awake when I get true." Notley was 26 years old when she wrote this poem and was in the honeymoon phase of her relationship with her husband. In the last line of the excerpt, Notley says "So you fucked me back in", and in a literal sense, Notley is referring to having sex with her husband. However, the deeper meaning is understanding each other and becoming one.
External References
editNotley's PennSound Page with recordings from 165 Meeting House Lane
References
edit- ^ Notley, Alice. 165 Meeting House Lane. New York: C Press, 1971.