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Ernest Francisco Fenollosa

Earnest Fenollosa was born on February 13, 1853 in Salem, Massachusetts, where he was raised, to Manuel Francisco Ciriaco Fenollosa, a Spanish pianist, and Mary Silsbee. He attended Hacker Grammar School and Salem

Here let me sit, in this empty, cool, terraced hall

by Ernest Francisco Fenollosa (1853–1900)

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 Here let me sit, in this empty, cool, terraced hall. 
 The soft breeze wafts into beautiful curve the thick line of incense smoke; 
 The great boom of Chionin's bell seems to pulse its length. 
 The great truth flashes on me of sitting just so before!— 
 Was it when Nobunaga built new towers in the West? 
 Was she the Lady O-tsu who sang poems at my side? 
 Or was I some noble believer of the Fujiwara court, 
 And did Komachi flash for me her matchless songs? 
 And there are vistas beyond of Indian and Chinese ages rolling their beauty and faith into the lap of Kioto! 

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Poets Book of Days

September 21

Ernest Fenollosa died, 1908

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Poetry Trivia

Question:

For what does Oulipo stand?

Answer

Ouvroir de littérature potentielle (Workshop of potential literature). Founded by Raymond Queneau, with its members including Italo Calvino, Oskar Pastior and Jacques Roubaud, Oulipo believed in composing its literary works under arbitrary constraints.

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