Compiled by London Swaminathan

swami_48@yahoo.com

Date: 14 November 2018

GMT Time uploaded in London –10-57 am
Post No. 5662

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A shallow poet took Piron (FRENCH DRAMATIST)  into his confidence and entrusted him a long manuscript, assuring the critic that the verses contained therein were the best he had ever written . With an air condescension, he asked Piron to put a cross before each line which he thought might possibly be improved. When he asked for his manuscript a few days later Piron handed it to him without a word. Leafing hastily through it, the author exclaimed delightedly,
Why I don’t see a single cross on my paper.
No, returned Piron dryly,
I didn’t want to make a graveyard of it.

Xxx

MICHELANGELO AND CRITIC

When Michelangelo had completed his great sculptural work, the David, Gonfalonier Soderini of Florence who had ordered it came to inspect his purchase. Among his other criticisms he objected to the nose, pronouncing it to be out of all proportion to the rest of the figure, and added, that he wished some reduction should take place in its size. Angelo knew well with whom he had to deal; he mounted the scaffold for the figure upwards of twelve feet high, and giving a few sonorous but harmless blows with his hammer on the stone, let fall a handful of marble dust which he had scrapped up from the floor below; and then descending from his station turned to the Gonfalonier with a look expectant of his approbation. At, exclaimed the sagacious critic; now you have given it life indeed.

Michelangelo was content, and receiving his four hundred scrudi for his tasks, wisely said no more . It would have been no gratification to a man like him, to have shown the incapacity of a presumptuous critic like Soderini.

Xxx

DRAMA-TIC CRITICISM

Professor Brander Mathews was a great stickler for proprieties. At an opening night he had gone to review a play. The next day he was asked for his opinion by one of his students at Colombia university.
Well, gentlemen, said Professor Mathews, the play was in four acts, and I was there as the guest of the author.
After the first act the audience sat silent and I applauded. After the second act I sat quiet while the audience hissed.

The professor took a long drawn and reminiscent pull at his cigarette, then held it at arm’s length and flicked off the ashes.
And the third act?
Well gentlemen, and there was a gleam of satisfaction in the Professor s eye, after the third act I went out and bought standing room and came back and hissed too.

Xxxx Subham xxx