A collaboration by Mary Paterson & Thor Magnus Tangerås

A collaboration by Mary Paterson & Thor Magnus Tangerås

Written for the European Poetry Festival 2024

“I am always fascinated by the point at which language moves from becoming prosaic and boring, to becoming alive with the possibility of new meaning. That is what poetry is trying to do – to give meaning to language – and it is a thrill that you don't get from the way we have to use second-hand language all the time, every day – emails, social media, form filling, parking fines, news reports, company appraisals, etc.

The experience scales are fascinating because they combine the most boring, the most prosaic, the most functional form of language with the desire to stretch language beyond what it is possible to say. I really enjoy this interplay, and think the contrast with the bombastic language of Enheduanna's ancient poetry brings it into even sharper relief. As I write this now I realise her poetry is also walking the same line: she was writing for a very public function, and she was also trying to articulate extremes of feeling that cannot quite be contained in words.”

– Mary

”It was an interesting coincidence that two of the scales we looked at, The Connectedness to Nature Scale and The Warwich Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale both consisted of 14 items, thus superficially resembling sonnets. At the same time they try to map out some of poetry’s traditional terrain.For me, some of these questionnaires and scales try to capture experiences which have always been the domain of poetry: transgressive experiences connected to extreme states such as dying and mystical experiences, and a sense of connectedness to everything around us. On the other hand, the scales attempt to construct a general/average state over a prolonged time- period, whereas poetry delves into specific moments to deepen and enlarge their phenomenology.

The questionnaires are all developed and standardized based on unique in depth first person phenomenological accounts, where the idiosyncrasies, half-coherent formulations and hesitations of emergent thinking are ironed out. All the scales try to quantify something which is elusive, deeply subjective and difficult to verbalise. Quantification, measurement, numbers, separate boxes: this is an integral part of the ideology of our times: grading in school, market shares, viewer ratings, new public management – points along a left-to-right axis mark our way of organizing society.”

– Thor

Caesura I

I often feel a sense of oneness with
I think of the natural world as a
I recognize and appreciate the intelligence of
I often feel disconnected from

When I think of my life, I imagine myself to be part of
I often feel a kinship with
I feel as though I belong to
I feel that all inhabitants of earth, human and nonhuman,

Like a tree can be part of a forest, I
When I think of my place on Earth, I consider myself
I am no more important than
My personal welfare is independent of

Caesura II

I often sing of
I often ride on
I feel strongly that I have emerged from
I feel strongly that my might is

I feel able to cause chaos for
I feel able to hurry havoc with
I weeping, gushing, flooding
I gloom, I grief, I glory

I tremble, I terror, I anguish
I am the queen of
I am the mistress of
I alone am

While Reading this passage

While reading this passage, I felt that I am headstrong and defiant
While reading this passage I felt that I eat corpses like a lion
While reading this passage, I felt like a flash flood, that gushes down the mountains

While reading this passage, I became a queen astride a lion
While reading this passage, I began to march past the threshold of tears
While reading this passage, with the harps of the temple, I began to strike the beat of a sorrowful song

While reading this passage, I felt like my strength can make teeth crush stone
While reading this passage, I felt like no-one can calm the rage in my heart

To a Certain Degree

neither nor
extremely true, although
strongly disagree, and yet
vehemently indifferent

objection, your honour
all the bloody time
terribly neutral
you tell me, mate

off the scale
how would I know, I’m only human
strongly agree, and what’s more

oh the stories I could tell you!
who are you to speak on my behalf
I beg your pardon

Battle of scales

love is not love which alters when it alteration finds

I all alone beweep my outcast state

summer's lease hath all too short a date

When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
for all the day they view things unrespected

I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought

nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence

Mine eye and heart are at a mortal war

My glass shall not persuade me I am old

Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took

How like a winter hath my absence been

Sin of self-love possesseth all mine eye
And all my soul and all my every part

Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;

Seven Great Lions

Over the last two weeks, I strongly agree
that I have emerged from the heavens riding on seven great lions.
Over the last two weeks, I strongly agree that
I am as a downpour of light from the heavens

Over the last two weeks, I neither agree nor disagree
that my venom strikes like the storm
I neither agree nor disagree that I make the harvest fail
I rip apart those who feel no fear of me

I disagree strongly that I am an eagle that leaves no man alive.

I agree slightly that I whirl chaos and confusion at those who disobey me.

Over the last two weeks I strongly agree that I am hurrying havoc,
I am hastening the flood, I am dressed in a dreadful gleam.

Wellbeing

Thinking back to the last two weeks, I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future
I’ve been feeling useful
I’ve been feeling relaxed
I’ve been feeling interested in other people
I’ve been feeling like I can sing of my fury
I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things

When I make my decision, it is indelible from heaven and earth
I’ve been able to shroud the mountains and silence the roads

I’ve been feeling like my eyes flash and flicker
I’ve been feeling like I when I speak, cities turn to ruins

I’ve been feeling able to grind skulls to dust
I’ve been feeling able to lift my terrifying gaze

Did time

Did time seem out of step with itself
Did you, all at once, feel at one with all and yet uniquely you