Quid Pro Corona

Summary

The web content presents a modern sonnet by Edward Robson, PhD, MFA, reflecting on the poet's discipline during the current crisis, emphasizing the value of solitude for creativity while expressing a longing for social interaction.

Abstract

The website features a poem titled "Quid Pro Corona," which is described as a modern sonnet with an acrostic structure. The poem delves into the paradoxical nature of the current crisis, where solitude is both necessary for creative productivity and a source of restlessness for the poet, who reminisces about past gatherings with friends and fellow writers. The author, Edward Robson, uses the poem to convey the usefulness of solitary times for reflection and artistic growth, yet also expresses a desire for the crisis to end so that the communal aspects of artistic celebration can resume. The piece is a testament to the adaptability of poets and artists during challenging times, acknowledging the importance of both solitude and community in the creative process.

Opinions

The author enjoys solitude at his desk for creative work but acknowledges the importance of social gatherings for artistic inspiration and celebration.
The current crisis is seen as a unique opportunity for poets to practice their discipline, as it necessitates spending time alone for the common good.
There is a sense of nostalgia for pre-crisis times spent with friends and fellow writers, highlighting the value of in-person interactions for the artistic community.
The poem suggests that while solitary times can be useful for artistic reflection and productivity, they can also lead to restlessness and a longing for communal experiences.
The author expresses a wish for the current crisis to pass, indicating a balance between solitude and social interaction is preferred for a fulfilling creative life.

Never has there been a crisis so well suited to the poet’s discipline.

This is what my poetry professor calls a modern sonnet, meaning it has 14 lines and follows the rhetorical structure of a sonnet but does not adhere to the classical restrictions of meter and rhyme.

For full appreciation, you also need to notice its acrostic structure, beginning with the title.

Quid Pro Corona

Under normal circumstances, I enjoy my desk, my office. Hours alone are necessary for creative minds to be productive. There, reflection and philosophy can take root, bloom, and bear sweet fruit. Art, without which culture dies, will seldom germinate in public places.

Neither is that fundamental paradox in any way less true these days when, for the common good, we all must learn to thrive in our own homes, be glad that words need not be ordered online. Never has there been a crisis so well suited to the poet’s discipline.

Even so, I see myself grow restive, recollecting evenings spent with friends and fellow writers, raucous revels usually fueled by victuals and wine abundant if not fine, ever celebrating one another, drunk on art but no less drunk on love.

Know this: we are poets in the middle, people first and last. Solitary times are useful, but I wish this one would pass.

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Quid Pro Corona

Never has there been a crisis so well suited to the poet’s discipline.

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