To Forget Venice Peg Boyers To Forget Venice the university of chicago press Chicago & London Peg Boyers is executive editor of Salmagundi. She teaches poetry at Skidmore College and at the New York State Summer Writers Institute. Her previous books include Hard Bread and Honey with Tobacco, both published by the University of Chicago Press. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 2014 by The University of Chicago All rights reserved. Published 2014. Printed in the United States of America 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5 ISBN-13: 978-0-226-18126-4 (paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-226-18143-1 (e-book) DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226181431.001.0001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Boyers, Peggy, 1952– author. To forget Venice / Peg Boyers. pages ; cm—(Phoenix Poets) Poems. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-226-18126-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-226-18143-1 (e-book) 1. Venice (Italy)— Poetry. I. Title. II. Series: Phoenix poets. PS3602.O94T6 2014 811'.54—dc23 2014002921 ∞ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper). To my sister Titi, who first gave me Venice, and to my husband Robert and our children: Gabe and Drew, Zack and Rachel, Lowell and Eileen Contents Acknowledgments ix i Scirocco: Otello in Venice 3 The Ruskins 5 1. John Ruskin Confronts the Real Female Nude (April 10, 1847) 5 2. Effie Gray Ruskin Writes to Her Mother on Christmas Eve, 1850 7 Tadzio’s Mother 10 Mrs. Casanova 12 Titian’s Magdalena Speaks from Lazzaretto Nuovo, 1576 15 To Lenin from Venice 17 Wall Moss 20 ii Crossing 25 Arrivata 27 Rialto 29 Rooftop: Aerial View 30 Pact, 1968 34 Moon Walk 36 Canzoncino: Air for My Father 40 Urn 42 iii Ambition of Sand 45 At the Guggenheim Museum, Venice 47 Lido 49 Tramonto 51 At Sea 53 Callas in Venice 54 La Tempesta 58 Aubade 60 What I Meant To Say: In Memory of Michael Mazur, 1935–2009 61 Dream of the Chalice 66 Fondamente Nove 67 The Jewish Cemetery, Lido 68 Brodsky at San Michele, 1996 71 To Forget Venice 74 Notes 77 Acknowledgments Poems in this book have previously appeared, some in different versions, in the following publications: Harvard Review: “Mrs. Casanova” H.O.W. Journal: “The Jewish Cemetery, Lido” and “Wall Moss” Hudson Review: “Urn” Inertia: “Lido” Jai-Alai Magazine: “To Forget Venice” New Republic: “Scirocco: Otello in Venice” Notre Dame Review: “Ambition of Sand” Paris Review: “At the Guggenheim Museum, Venice” Poetry International: “Rooftop: Aerial View” and “Brodsky at San Michele” Raritan: “Tadzio’s Mother,” “Titian’s Magdalena Speaks from Lazzaretto Nuovo, 1576,” and “Fondamente Nove” Sewanee Review: “Crossing” Southwest Review: “Callas in Venice” ix