Poetry?

Penelope · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:08 am Post subject:

Saffron - Oh I love the 'tread softly' poem!!!

DWill - Yes I know A Shropshire Lad, well because it is local to where I live but I also like 'A Shepherds Calendar' - and I can't for the life of me remember the name of the poet....but I bet you like him too. He was a farm labourer who wrote inspired poetry. If you don't know who I mean I'll bet back to you with his name.

Saffron · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 6:25 am Post subject:

The Shepheardes Calender by Edmund Spenser

Here is a link to an electronic version. I found this a bit hard to read. I have found some of the months online, in slightly different form, that were much easier to read.

http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/SpeShep.html

This is the closing verse

Loe I haue made a Calender for euery yeare,
That steele in strength, and time in durance shall outweare:
And if I marked well the starres reuolution,
It shall continewe till the worlds dissolution.
To teach the ruder shepheard how to feed his sheepe,
And from the falsers fraud his folded flocke to keepe.
Goe lyttle Calender, thou hast a free passeporte,
Goe but a lowly gate emongste the meaner sorte.
Dare not to match thy pipe with Tityrus his style,
Nor with the Pilgrim that the Ploughman playde a whyle:
But followe them farre off, and their high steppes adore,
The better please, the worse despise, I aske nomore.

Penelope · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:33 am Post subject:

Thank you Saffron - My copy of Shepherd's Calendar is in modern English and this is in olde English, which is easier to read the more you read it.

And I think, quite picturesque language.

Aren't those little copper-plate engravings a delight? I think I will add your link to my 'favourites' list so that I can study those illustrations in more detail.

We have been to the Nantwich Agricultural Show today - So coming back to see your poem has made me feel 'truly rural'. Smile

Chris OConnor · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:50 pm Post subject:

DWill had suggested we create a new forum exclusively for discussing poetry and now that I see such an interest in poetry I'm thinking he might have a good idea. I'll create the forum right now, but I would appreciate some guidance.

Where do you think a poetry forum should be placed? In the fiction section? Is poetry always considered fiction or is it in a genre or class of its own?

What would be a good name for a poetry forum? I'm going to name it "The Poetry Forum" for now, but please help me come up with something catchy and descriptive.

Some not-so-good ideas:

Poetry Pond
PoetryTalk
Poetry Damnit
WTF OMG LOL Poetry

Help me!

DWill · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject:

Chris, thanks a lot for giving the poetry forum its own place--no longer an orphan. I think Poetry Dammit! is a brilliant name and I'd vote for that.

Dwill

DWill · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:04 pm Post subject:

Saffron, I recall that Ralphalinos posted that one, too, way back when, and I think it's great that poems can recirculate. I wonder if there's a chance we could even pick a volume of poems by a poet and discuss here. I'd be up for "A Shropshire Lad", which I mentioned and which I think would be widely available in libraries. Thanks for tracking down "A Shepherd's Calendar." That one is a blast from the past for me.

DWill

DWill · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:26 pm Post subject:

Saffron · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:28 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Chris! I think it is great that poetry now has it's own forum.

DWill, yes, let's do read a volume of poetry. I'm good with A Shropshire Lad. If we do, you lead that discussion, though. Anybody have any other suggestions?

Saffron

Saffron · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:35 pm Post subject:

DWill · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:26 pm Post subject:

Alas, all I would have is boringly chaste, I think. There was one about a beach, has a girl in it, but I can't remember it well. Something like this:

It's one of the sunstruck games we play:
Making castles from the wet brown mortar,
Building walls so thick and spires so high
That you and I could live there
If the tide would stop for us.

But the fun is waiting till we're an island,
Then wading ashore to look out as the great leveler
Laps sliently, seriously at our work,
Blurring it to a trace, as we laugh.

And it matters little now that fall will come
To turn the beach cold and spoil our fun.
For you taste like salt and wear the August flowers
That bloom upon the bluff.

I think mermaids and sea-men don't know time.
So who's to say what's inevitable?

This does qualify as a summer poem, which people were posting for a while.

Saffron · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 7:01 am Post subject:

Will,
Quite a beautiful little summer poem, your contribution. I especially like this stanza --

And it matters little now that fall will come
To turn the beach cold and spoil our fun.
For you taste like salt and wear the August flowers
That bloom upon the bluff.

Who is the poet?

Saffron

Penelope · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:18 am Post subject:

There is a programme on BBC Radio every week called 'Poetry Please' but I think 'Poetry Dammit' is much better!!!

Yes - Please Sir, Can we have 'Poetry Dammit'?

It makes us sound much more swashbuckling and thigh slapping -YOHO -
than Poetry Please - which sounds quite limp wristed and fragile.

Or what about 'It's Bloody Poetry - OK'? No, only kidding!!!

I've got my Shropshire Lad clutched in my hot little hand and quivering with anticipation. No I shall rephrase that.....I have got my copy of Shropshire lad....etc.

Laughing

DWill · Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:02 pm Post subject:

Penelope · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:53 am Post subject:

DWill

I don't mind what the Poetry Forum's called - so long as it's up and running. I am so pleased it is here and that Shropshire Lad is the first book. Smile

Look at all your Karma Points!!!!!!! You do realise that you are the most popular poster on the whole website, don't you?

DWill · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:38 pm Post subject:

There's no accounting for taste!


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