It's Poetry

[MeridianXO]

Since authors of books have been discussed, I wanted to ask about poets. Does anyone have any specific poets or poems they love?

My favorites are Petrarch and Catullus (Can't stand Shakespeare, sorry, guys). Both of them have written things that just stick in my head. Sometimes it's only a verse, sometimes it's the whole poem. Depending on the translation for Petrarch, I find, some of the poems tend to either sizzle or sort of float by. My favorite translator for Petrarch is Morris Bishop. Shockingly, I've discovered that many don't know of these two. So, here they are in brief: Catullus was alive back in B.C. and Petrarch jumped onto the philisophy bandwagon and became the Father of Humanism. Both are Italian (As if the names didn't give this away already), so maybe it's just an Italian fetish I have. ;) It's my humble opinion, however, that Petrarchan Sonnets are way better than Shakespearean Sonnets.

~Heather

[Sharon D.H.]

Ever heard of Oscar Wilde? I have the Complete works of Oscar Wilde, including the Poems, novels, plays, essays, Fairy Tales, and Dialogues. I look through it once in a while. I also have Shakespeare, whom I studied in college 3-4 years ago.
I love to read all kinds of books, but I like indulge the darker side and read my book of Grimm's complete Fairy Tales that was bought last year for me by me co-worker for Christmas.
Sometimes I like to read my other book on Great Irish Tales of Horror.

[MeridianXO]

Boy, you certainly know how to pick men that 'pop', don't ya? *Haha*
When I'm bored or just need a good laugh, I go through and read the quotes of Oscar Wilde. Some of them make you laugh, some of them puts your jaw to the floor, and some of them make you do a double take at the text and say, "What did he say?"

As far as poems of his go, I'm rather fond of 'The Sphinx'. I can just picture J.K. Rowling sitting there yanking Harry Potter characters and species (Musn't forget houses) out of it. :D

~Heather

[Sam]

:D I haven't done any reading lately but the two of you have me flashing back to my high school years which was eons ago!!:eek:
I enjoyed Oscar Wilde and Grimm Fairy Tales. I remember reading Petrarch. I'm very partial to Elizabeth Barrett Browning though. Gosh I miss those days before Hubby and kids came along. Back when my days were'nt mapped out with the sounds of : I want. I need. I've got to have!!:p

[MeridianXO]

You got Petrarch in High School? :( I had to wait for college for him and I had to become an English major to boot. *Hmph* No fair.

I only know one by Elizabeth Browning. I think it's the same one everyone else knows, too. Some English Major I am. *haha*

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day?s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood?s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

~Heather

[Sam]

:) I have to admit that is my favorite but so is this one.;)
A Woman's Shortcomings


She has laughed as softly as if she sighed,
She has counted six, and over,
Of a purse well filled, and a heart well tried -
Oh, each a worthy lover!
They "give her time"; for her soul must slip
Where the world has set the grooving;
She will lie to none with her fair red lip:
But love seeks truer loving.

She trembles her fan in a sweetness dumb,
As her thoughts were beyond recalling;
With a glance for one, and a glance for some,
From her eyelids rising and falling;
Speaks common words with a blushful air,
Hears bold words, unreproving;
But her silence says - what she never will swear -
And love seeks better loving.

Go, lady! lean to the night-guitar,
And drop a smile to the bringer;
Then smile as sweetly, when he is far,
At the voice of an in-door singer.
Bask tenderly beneath tender eyes;
Glance lightly, on their removing;
And join new vows to old perjuries -
But dare not call it loving!

Unless you can think, when the song is done,
No other is soft in the rhythm;
Unless you can feel, when left by One,
That all men else go with him;
Unless you can know, when unpraised by his breath,
That your beauty itself wants proving;
Unless you can swear "For life, for death!" -
Oh, fear to call it loving!

Unless you can muse in a crowd all day
On the absent face that fixed you;
Unless you can love, as the angels may,
With the breadth of heaven betwixt you;
Unless you can dream that his faith is fast,
Through behoving and unbehoving;
Unless you can die when the dream is past -
Oh, never call it loving!

[hcla]

Oh gee, where to begin, to name a few, Emily Dickinson, John Milton, Robert Herrick, Edgar Allan Poe, Leo Tolstoy, and here's a sample of Algernon Swinburne....
Love, as told by the seers of old,
Comes as a butterfly tipped with gold,
Flutters and flies in sunlit skies,
Weaving 'round hearts that were one time cold.

As for Shakespeare, love it, but that did'nt come about until I came across His complete works in an antique store, there 107 years old, and very acurate, more so then anything I ever recieved in school. Also over in Ashland, we have the Shakespeare Festival, very immpressive, Shakespeare is something that should be watched, reading it can be a bit of a bore.

[MeridianXO]

Oooo, I like that. A Woman's Shortcomings...Sweet. :) I might have to read more of her stuff.

HCLA, Shakespeare...*Sighs* It's not that I haven't tried to like Shakespeare. I have. I really, really have. I even went to take a semester of it in College. The only thing I got from that was a $200 text book, "Complete Works of Shakespeare", in which I have yet to finish (I dropped the class). I've tried. He's just so, uh, boring. Yes, I know. The plays have great storylines. It's just something about the wording that really gets my interest on other things. I find if I have to force myself to be interested, it really isn't something I'd like anyways. The poets have to 'pop' for me. I'm not sure what it is, but, if it isn't there, I don't stay for long. Not when there are so many other great words and phrases to read.

I took theatre in college (Funnest semester I ever had) and it was a requirement to go see two of the plays that the college put on that semester and write about the performances. Unfortunately, both plays were Shakespeare's. Not only could I not critique the performers, I couldn't tell her one thing the play was actually about. Let's just say that if the teacher didn't like me so darn much, I would have failed Theatre.

~Heather

[Sam]

I hated Shakespeare too in high school. Didn't really get it until later on in life. Still don't like to read it but I love to see it!! I went to a school that had such strict standards of learning that when we moved and I changed to a different school I found myself a year and a half ahead of my fellow students and was able to graduate at age 16 because of it.
In fact I was really disappointed in my creative writing teacher at the last school. He was always shooting down the best stuff that came across his desk and rewarding the really dumb stuff. Then two years after I graduate I go to a car lot to buy a car and he turns out to be the car salesman. Turns out he knew nothing at all about the subject he was teaching and had no interest in it. He was just there to pay off his student loans.

[Sharon D.H.]

In fact I was really disappointed in my creative writing teacher at the last school. He was always shooting down the best stuff that came across his desk and rewarding the really dumb stuff. Then two years after I graduate I go to a car lot to buy a car and he turns out to be the car salesman. Turns out he knew nothing at all about the subject he was teaching and had no interest in it. He was just there to pay off his student loans.

What a bummer, cocoknight....
My creative writing teacher in high school was totally awesome. She gave me the confidence I needed to write my journal and then share a page one day a week with the class.(we were graded on that stuff). She told me one day I might be a writer, I was that good back then, but now, lots of stuff I need to relearn to write like that again.
She made me listen to music and write what we could see in our minds that to us the music represented. Then, we could share it with the class if we wanted to. Or not....
She even introduced Mozart, funny stories, boring stories and poems by different people. I guess that is why I read everything from Star Wars series books and Lord of the Rings to Oscar Wilde and Shakespeare. From R.A. Salvatore to George R.R. Martin(now that Adrian has done the Narrating, I became interested in this author, whom I never heard of before, and am now reading " A Game of Thrones". It is right up my yen for something wicked and swords and otherworldly things, jesters, and knights....I could go on...It is such a good book......:D
Eventually, I will check out these authors you ladies are reading. Sounds very interesting, and different.

A friend I work with is reading nothing but James Patterson. Is he familiar to any of you? Is he any good?

C'ya
Sharon