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Re: The Top 500 Poems
DWill wrote:
I haven't looked up St. Theresa yet.
St. Teresa? Did I miss something? I don't remember a mention of St. Teresa in poem or discussion.
_________________ Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads ~ Henry David Thoreau
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” -Thich Nhat Hahn
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
I maybe scarce for a few days. My computer is going back in for repairs. I hope this time it helps. I will try to sneak on my daughter's laptop to keep up with you all.
_________________ Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads ~ Henry David Thoreau
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” -Thich Nhat Hahn
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
Saffron, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you (or as we do here in Germany, my thumbs pressed).
Re: dead ground hog-- there is a novel by Ali Shaw called "The Accidental" (which I highly recommend, btw), that has a pivotal scene involving roadkill and a 12 year old girl with a stick poking at it, wondering why she is doing just that, why it does or does not matter to her and to the dead animal, etc. Wonder if Ali Shaw knows this poem?
_________________ Gods and spirits are parasitic--Pascal Boyer
Religion is the only force in the world that lets a person have his prejudice or hatred and feel good about it --S C Hitchcock
Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.--André Gide
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
oblivion wrote:
Saffron, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you (or as we do here in Germany, my thumbs pressed).
Re: dead ground hog-- there is a novel by Ali Shaw called "The Accidental" (which I highly recommend, btw), that has a pivotal scene involving roadkill and a 12 year old girl with a stick poking at it, wondering why she is doing just that, why it does or does not matter to her and to the dead animal, etc. Wonder if Ali Shaw knows this poem?
I have my own poking at a fish incident, when I was a girl, that I've thought about many times through my life. I think I will have to go look for the book. Thanks for the tip. And keep those thumbs pressed! The guy at the shop said even if the computer is dead, I can most like get my stuff recovered -- which means all of my poetry!!!
_________________ Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads ~ Henry David Thoreau
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” -Thich Nhat Hahn
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
oblivion wrote:
This poem echoes a bit of: "I am and am not, Freeze and yet I burn, Since from myself, My other self I turn. My care is like my shadow, Shining like the sun-- follows me flying, flies when I pursue it, Stands and lives by me, does what I have done."
It would be an interesting endeavour tearing a theme or a word from poems by different poets or in different centuries and see how the theme/word has involved. (Okay, off on a tangent again, but the word "shadow" caught my interest and sparked this tangent).
I like your tangent! I think we should do it.
_________________ Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads ~ Henry David Thoreau
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” -Thich Nhat Hahn
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
436. "next to of course god america i," by e. e. cummings. An internet commentator on the poem tells us this was originally printed in "Feline Quarterly" because cummings needed the money. Thus the lions in l. 11. Harmon also points out that it is a very clever example of sonnet form.
"next to of course god america i love you land of the pilgrims’ and so forth oh say can you see by the dawn’s early my country ’tis of centuries come and go and are no more what of it we should worry in every language even deafanddumb thy sons acclaim your glorious name by gorry by jingo by gee by gosh by gum why talk of beauty what could be more beaut- iful than these heroic happy dead who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter they did not stop to think they died instead then shall the voice of liberty be mute?”
He spoke. And drank rapidly a glass of water
Last edited by DWill on Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
I freaking love this poem. And the best way to read it is to read it aloud, in as close to one breath as possible, as it is all one rambling thought, and isn't finished, because he drinks a glass of water and is not punctuated
so the poem lingers, in your mind long after the book is closed or the computer turned off.
(A professor once told me that the end of Whitman's Song of Myself originally ended with no punctuation, but that later publishers added a period, as if they were afraid to leave his words hanging out in space forever, as (I like to imagine) he intended.)
I didn't realize we were this far already! e.e. cummings was my inspiration in my teens when I was first beginning to write meaningful poetry. His poetry was the first time I really realized how one could manipulate everyday language into something bigger, and play with the grammar rules I dearly love and still cling to -- I learned from him that once you know the rules, they can be broken, but only with deliberate intent to do so. From 10th grade on my poetry resembled some sort of hybrid of e.e. cummings and Jim Morrison (I was a huge Doors fan, and for a long time I didn't go anywhere without a copy of one of his books of poetry in my purse). Now it has many more influences, but I will never forget my e.e. cummings days.
Now that we're in my era of poetry, I may be a bit more present and excitable. Beware, readers, beware!
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
Saffron wrote:
oblivion wrote:
This poem echoes a bit of: "I am and am not, Freeze and yet I burn, Since from myself, My other self I turn. My care is like my shadow, Shining like the sun-- follows me flying, flies when I pursue it, Stands and lives by me, does what I have done."
It would be an interesting endeavour tearing a theme or a word from poems by different poets or in different centuries and see how the theme/word has involved. (Okay, off on a tangent again, but the word "shadow" caught my interest and sparked this tangent).
I like your tangent! I think we should do it.
How would you all feel about exploring the idea of "Self" in poetry throughout the centuries?
_________________ Gods and spirits are parasitic--Pascal Boyer
Religion is the only force in the world that lets a person have his prejudice or hatred and feel good about it --S C Hitchcock
Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.--André Gide
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
Great idea, DWill! And thank you for the effort.
"No Second Troy" has the quality of saying much with few words that is seen in only the best short poems. I am surprised it is not higher on the list. But then all these lists just prove that my taste in literature is strange!
_________________ --Gary
"Freedom is feeling easy in your harness" --Robert Frost
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
DWill wrote:
Saffron wrote:
DWill wrote:
I haven't looked up St. Theresa yet.
St. Teresa? Did I miss something? I don't remember a mention of St. Teresa in poem or discussion.
It's toward the end of "Groundhog," and I haven't looked it up still.
Oh, ya, it is the very last line and the funny thing is I knew that the first time I read through the poem. In fact, I remember thinking: Alexander = physical power/body, Montaigne = intellect power/mind, and St. St. Theresa spiritual/soul.
_________________ Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads ~ Henry David Thoreau
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” -Thich Nhat Hahn
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
GaryG48 wrote:
Great idea, DWill! And thank you for the effort.
"No Second Troy" has the quality of saying much with few words that is seen in only the best short poems. I am surprised it is not higher on the list. But then all these lists just prove that my taste in literature is strange!
I think maybe we lost a post in the moving around of the Poetry Forum. DWill, can you look to see if a post you made disappeared? If so, any chance you could be persuaded to repost it?
And a warm welcome to Gary. So glad to see you posting on the poetry forum.
_________________ Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads ~ Henry David Thoreau
“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” -Thich Nhat Hahn
Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 3712 Location: Berryville, Virginia
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
GaryG48 wrote:
Great idea, DWill! And thank you for the effort.
"No Second Troy" has the quality of saying much with few words that is seen in only the best short poems. I am surprised it is not higher on the list. But then all these lists just prove that my taste in literature is strange!
Thank you, GaryG48. You're not the only one who's mystified by what's included, and where, on the list. By the way, wouldn't it be kind of great if people were loading poems into their ipods, making their own "playlists"? If this was easy to do I might even get an ipod.
Last edited by DWill on Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
bleachededen wrote:
I freaking love this poem. And the best way to read it is to read it aloud, in as close to one breath as possible, as it is all one rambling thought, and isn't finished, because he drinks a glass of water and is not punctuated
Yeah, I think you're exactly right.
Quote:
I didn't realize we were this far already! e.e. cummings was my inspiration in my teens when I was first beginning to write meaningful poetry. His poetry was the first time I really realized how one could manipulate everyday language into something bigger, and play with the grammar rules I dearly love and still cling to -- I learned from him that once you know the rules, they can be broken, but only with deliberate intent to do so. From 10th grade on my poetry resembled some sort of hybrid of e.e. cummings and Jim Morrison (I was a huge Doors fan, and for a long time I didn't go anywhere without a copy of one of his books of poetry in my purse). Now it has many more influences, but I will never forget my e.e. cummings days.
Now that we're in my era of poetry, I may be a bit more present and excitable. Beware, readers, beware!
As much as we'd love to have a poetry major around, esp. one with the moniker bleachededen, I can't entice you with a promise of living or even recently dead poets from now on. We can be plunged into the antique ages again by the vagaries of the List at any time. Sorry!
Last edited by DWill on Sun Mar 14, 2010 12:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Top 500 Poems
Saffron wrote:
St. Teresa? Did I miss something? I don't remember a mention of St. Teresa in poem or discussion.
Quote:
Oh, ya, it is the very last line and the funny thing is I knew that the first time I read through the poem. In fact, I remember thinking: Alexander = physical power/body, Montaigne = intellect power/mind, and St. St. Theresa spiritual/soul.
No fair! You got it without looking it up.
Last edited by DWill on Sun Mar 14, 2010 12:12 am, edited 2 times in total.
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