Something I Didn’t Know Until Now…
… but which makes sense, when you think about the two together:
Apparently Neil Gaiman’s Stardust was inspired by the early 17th century poet, John Donne’s, Song:
“Goe and catche a falling starre,
…Get with child a mandrake roote,
Tell me, where all past yeares are,
…Or who cleft the Divels foot,
Teach me to heare Mermaides singing,
…Or to keep off envies stinging,
………………….And finde
………………….What winde
Serves to advance an honest minde.
…”
Now I’m trying to think of any other books or films that owe their inception to a poem — suggestions anyone?
Well, Helen, does The Iliad or Beowulf count? 🙂
Besides that glib answer…Mulan is based on a Chinese epic, isn’t it?
It is indeed, re Mulan, and absolutely The Iliad and Beowulf count! Also, did you know that “O Brother Where Art Thou’ is meant to be based on the Odyssey?
Its not cunningly hidden or anything but Steven Kings Dark tower series and “Childe Roland to the dark tower came” by Robert Browning
Yup! I always loved that poem, too, for its fantastical overtones.:)
I don’t know about owing its inception to the poem, but Diana Wynne Jones’ “Howl’s Moving Castle” uses Donne’s poem above. Sophie and Michael interpret it as a spell and mayhem ensues.
I just came here to say the same thing as Morag! “Howl’s Moving Castle” centres on the very same poem.
Also Patricia McKillip is (I’m pretty sure) on record as saying that “The Tower at Stony Wood” was inspired by Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott”, as sung by Loreena McKinnet who musically adapted it.
Yes, I think I recall that re Stony Wood (am a great McKillip fan!)
Since Diana Wynne Jones was Neil Gaiman’s beta reader at times (and most likely for Stardust) I like to imagine that they discussed “Song” and therefore Stardust was also inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle. They’re two of my favourite books.
And of course it’s a “classic” poem anyway, if more than a tad misogynist in the final two stanzas!
HOWL is a great story, but I’d forgotten that Song featured–thanks for the reminder.:)
I think this a bit peripheral, but Andrew Marvell’s poem “To His Coy Mistress” seems fairly inspirational, at least in terms of titles. Read it:
http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/marvell/coy.htm
And see how many famous titles you can spot. I can see at least three…
—
-Alan
Starting with the opening line! Peripheral perhaps, but interesting.:)