The Virtues of Anger

Good friend Len Webster has been in touch again. He provided a link to a splendidly angry poem he wrote about Burma, and here it is, and this in its turn linked to some equally splendid and irascible meditations which can be found here.

People sometimes seem to be afraid of anger - rightly, I suppose - but it can be a wonderfully exhilarating joyous sort of emotion when turned effectively on a target that deserves it. A list of great angry writers would be interesting (or should that be angry great writers?). I think Dickens might be near the top. The barely contained fury at the Skimpoles of this world in Bleak House (amongst other targets) still feels dangerous a century and a half on. And the great outburst at the death of Jo simply cannot be contained by the novel - it breaks the frame. The recent BBC version did a pretty good job of this but it's impossible to do justice to in any medium other than the novel that can't quite contain it.

And Blake would definitely make the top five. Who, now I think of it, says it best (as usual): Damn braces: bless relaxes.