Last year I don’t believe I went public with any of my New Year’s resolutions — oh, wait a second, quick search through my archives reveals that yes, I did. Last year I resolved to read The Atlantic Monthly cover-to-cover every month. Um. I read a few of ‘em. And I will continue to subscribe. But I have a better idea for this year’s resolution. This year? I’m going to read poetry. Not exclusively, of course. But I’m going to read some. As opposed to reading none, which has been my habit up until now. In fact, I think I will hop onto the Poetry Thursday bandwagon. Do you think I can do 52 posts? I’m going to try. Starting today.
I need help, though. I need recommendations. Who’s your favorite poet? What’s your favorite anthology or book of poems? Why?
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Gerard Manley Hopkins!!! e.e. cummings! Pablo Neruda! Yeats! Okay, I’ll stop there. Oh, and you have to try William Stafford, who lived in my town and whom I MET when he was alive. I worshipped him as a teenager. (Yes, I know, nerd.)
Mmm! e.e. cummings is one I can definitely do. I already have a favorite I’m thinking of sharing. However, formatting him in html will be a bit of a challenge. Maybe I should go for one of the others first… Thanks, Inkling!
I love the Poetry Thursday idea!
Julie knows this, but to share: when I was kid, my mom PAID us to memorize poems. Sounds kind of mercenary/materialistic, but we learned a lot of poems and I still know them (mostly). Depending on whether the poems were short or long, we earned $1.50 or .75¢ for the first time we recited them, then, each week we could recite them for .50¢ or .25¢ (each).
I’ve been trying to get the older kids started on this, but it hasn’t caught on.
I got as far as putting together a list for them to choose from — but I’m think I’m pretty much the only one who enjoyed those poems and looks over that list (still!).
I know that I am about to reveal myself as a poetry snob, but I am unashamed of my sophistication when it comes to the written word.
I would say that the best example of poetry ever is Shel Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends.”