The Origin of Bokardo
Lots of people ask me this, so here it is:
The origin of Bokardo is a poem written by Edwin Arlington Robinson, who shared the same hometown as me: Gardiner, Maine. Robinson won 3 Pulitzer Prizes in poetry in the early part of the 20th Century.
As with most literature, the story behind the work makes it much more interesting. In this case, the poem is supposedly about Edwin’s brother Herman visiting him in New York City, years after falling away from his wife and shortly before drinking himself to death on the coast of Maine. He is coming to his brother to make amends, to apologize, because he has nobody else and the younger brother is scornful but accepting.
The story is made more intriguing because it is likely that Edwin was in love with Herman’s wife, Emma, which led to their initial estrangement. After Herman died, Edwin asked Emma to marry him, but she steadfastly refused. Three times. One poem possibly written about Emma, Eros Turannos (Love, the Tyrant), is one of Robinson’s most beautiful poems. (audio)
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Comments
1. Jenny Spadafora 1:34pm, Fri 9th, 2006
I had no idea you were also from Gardiner. I grew up on Lincoln Ave, just down the street from the EAR house. Small world…
2. Josh 2:25pm, Fri 9th, 2006
Are you kidding me?
I grew up on Danforth Street…
3. Noah Brier 5:07pm, Fri 9th, 2006
This is so strange, yesterday I was thinking I was going to write you an email and ask you this question. Thanks for clearing it up.
4. Jenny Spadafora 5:57pm, Fri 9th, 2006
Borned and raised. Which means I was subjected to GAHS… a bit ahead of you, though, I was class of ’89. My grandmother still lives on Lincoln Ave, across from the ballfield.
5. billhd 11:58am, Mon 12th, 2006
I always took Bokardo to be a kind of Robinsonian analogue to Plato’s (and Pirsig’s) Phaedrus – a figure representing a kind childlike, and sometimes even naive enthusiasm for (and faith in) the truth that many of us try to preserve as we grow cynical. An apt name for this blog indeed! Not for the naivetee, but rather for its wide-eyed longing for the good and the true.
6. Kevin Burton 3:34am, Tue 13th, 2006
In the Haight in San Francisco there’s a burrito place named something like ….. Bolitos or Bazaros or something.
But I have a mental block and I ALWAYS call it Bokardo……… doh!
Lets go eat at Bokardos!
7. Tim v.G. 7:31pm, Thu 3rd, 2006
“Bocardo” is the acronym-type name of one of the classic categorical syllogisms.
“Name given by medieval logicians to a categorical syllogism whose standard form has the mood and figure designated as OAO-3.
Example: Some local jails are not maximum-security prisons, but since all local jails are correctional institutions, it follows that some correctional institutions are not maximum-security prisons.”
http://www.philosophypages.com/dy/b5.htm