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Good Fortune's a light and wanton Miss
Who never stays long in any one place;
A caress at your hairline-a hasty kiss-
And then she's off, without leaving a trace.
Dame Misery-oh, you needn't worry:
She's your lover for life, not by starts and fits.
She says she's not in the slightest hurry,
And settles herself by your bed, and knits.
Heinrich Heine, "Epigraph to Romanzero, Book II: Lamentationen"
--Translated by Brian Wilkie
Brian Wilkie, an eminent scholar and an accomplished
teacher who spent nearly 20 years mentoring and inspiring students at
the University of Arkansas, died Dec. 14, 2003. As the author of
numerous books and as co-editor of the widely used anthology
"Literature of the Western World," Wilkie enjoyed a distinguished
international reputation.
Wilkie once told a reporter that he feared on Judgment Day, he would be called before the throne of God and asked to tell, in 10 words or less, what constitutes a good poem. He said he would beg to be asked something else, but if pressed, would answer, "Poetry is what Shelley and Emily Dickinson wrote."