Now, I want to read.
I hope that there was some question as to whether that
was poetry or prose, only because I think
that imagination in language as it gets more interesting always
tends to make that question come closer.
I mean, if you're dealing with very formal poetry
imaginative force tends to force it out of the form,
so that you get further and further away from formality,
and eventually somebody says that sounds like prose.
And with prose if the density amounts to a certain point
they begin saying it's like poetry, whatever that means.
And I think this happens all the time.
I mean, I think that this is just
a measure, an index of some energy that's in the language.
Having said that I want to read a piece that I wrote as prose
and that whenever I was asked what
made it different from poetry I said I didn't know,
I just knew that in translation it seemed very different but.
This is called Make This Simple Test,
and it's from a book of prose pieces
called The Miner's Pail Children.
Blindfold yourself with some suitable object,
if time permits remain still for a moment
You may feel one or more of your senses
begin to swim back toward you in the darkness, singly
and without their names
Meanwhile have someone else arrange the products to be
used in a row in front of you
It is preferable to have them in identical containers
though that is not necessary
Where possible perform the test by having the other person feed
you a portion, a spoonful of each of the products in turn
without comment
Guess what each one is and have the other person
write down what you say, then remove the blindfold
While arranging the products the other person should
have detached part of the label or container from each
and placed it in front of the product that
belongs to like a title
This bit of legend must not contain the product's trade
name, Norris generic name nor any suggestion of the product's
taste or desirability or price
It should be limited to that part of the label or container
which enumerates the actual components
of the product in question
Thus for instance, contains dextre nice flowers cocoa
processed with alkali, nonfat dry milk solids, yeast
nutrients, vegetable proteins, agar, hydrogenated vegetable
oil, dried egg yolk, QR, sodium cyclamen, soya lecithin,
imitation lemon oil, a SQL tartaric esters of
and diglycerides as emulsifiers, polysorbate 60, 1/10
of 1% of sodium benzoic to retard spoilage
Or contains unhydrated potatoes, powdered whey, vegetable gum,
emulsifier glycerol monastery, invert syrup, shortening
with freshness preserver, lactose,
sobic acid to retard mold growth,
caramel color, natural and artificial flavors, sodium acid
pyrophosphate, sodium bisulfite
Or contains beef extract, wheat and soya derivatives,
food starch modified, dry sweet whey, calcium carrageenan,
vegetable oil, sodium phosphates to preserve freshness, BHA,
BHT, propylene glycol, pectin, niacinamide, artificial flavor,
US certified caller
There should be not less than three separate products taste
again without the blindfold
Guess again and have the other person record the answers
Replace the blindfold
Have the other person changed the order of the product
and again feed you a spoonful of each
Guess again what you are eating or drinking in each case
if you can make the distinction
But this time do not stop there, guess why
you are eating or drinking it
Guess what it may do for you
Guess what it was meant to do for you
By whom?
When?
Where?
Why?
Guess where in the course of evolution
you took the first step toward it
Guess which of your organs recognizing it
Guess whether it is welcome to their temples
Guess how it figures in their prayers
Guess how completely you become what you eat
Guess how soon
Guess at the taste of locusts and wild honey
Guess at the taste of water
Guess what the river see as they die
Guess why the babies are burning
Guess why there is silence in heaven
Guess why you were ever born
[APPLAUSE]