A Reading of Primitive and Archaic Poetry: Arranged by Jerome Rothenberg

Poets Jerome Rothenberg, David Antin, Jackson MacLow, and Rochelle Owens come together to recite translations of “primitive” and archaic stories of creation, nature, death, and mourning. Sources of the poems include indigenous groups such as the Gabon Pygmies, the Maori, a number of Native American peoples, classical Indian texts, and various Australian and African peoples. This collection of poems was performed at the Hardware Poets Playhouse and the Metro Coffeehouse in New York City in 1964. Liner notes contain the poem texts and biographical information about the poets.

Track Listing

101	Origins and Meanings: Creation Accounts	n/a	05:25
102	Origins and Meanings: Definitions - Poem for the Sun, Eskimo / Origins and Meanings: Definitions - Series of Aztec Definitions	n/a	06:05
103	Origins and Meanings: Descriptions - Eskimo / Origins and Meanings: Descriptions - Australian / Origins and Meanings: Descriptions - Gabon Pygmy	n/a	02:08
104	Origins and Meanings: Elephant Hunter Take Your Bow	n/a	01:53
105	Origins and Meanings: The War God's Horse Song	n/a	01:12
106	Origins and Meanings: He Is Firm and Strong	n/a	00:33
107	Origins and Meanings: To the God of Fire As a Horse (Rigveda)	n/a	00:57
108	Origins and Meanings: The Stars	n/a	00:41
201	Death and Defeat: The Flight of the Quetzalcoatl	n/a	06:11
202	Death and Defeat: When Hare Heard of Death	n/a	01:01
203	Death and Defeat: Poem from the Middle Kingdom	n/a	01:49
204	Death and Defeat: Ayacucho Dance Song	n/a	00:27
205	Death and Defeat: She Has Gone from Us / Death and Defeat: The Blowfly	n/a	02:06
206	Death and Defeat: Lamentation	n/a	00:32
207	Death and Defeat: Death Song	n/a	00:15
208	Death and Defeat: Three Songs	n/a	00:26
209	Death and Defeat: For Tlacahuepan	n/a	00:34
210	Death and Defeat: Song of the Butterfly	n/a	00:12
211	Death and Defeat: Some Attributes of the Book of Changes	n/a	03:35
212	Death and Defeat: Lament	n/a	00:51