Nearly everyone has been exposed to some of the fun, whimsical poetry of Shel Silverstein: The Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, and The Giving Tree are some of his most notable works. His writing–targeted primarily at children–shows itself to be both entertaining and often quite surprisingly deep. Today I wantedContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: Shel Silverstein”
Tag Archives: Poetry Wednesday
Poetry Wednesday: “To the Rose upon the Rood of Time”
C.S. Lewis (the author who first cultivated my love of literature with his Narnia chronicles) once said about the Irish poet, essayist, and playwright William Butler (W.B.) Yeats, “I am often surprised to find how utterly ignored Yeats is among the men I have met: perhaps his appeal is purely Irish–if so, then thank theContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “To the Rose upon the Rood of Time””
Poetry Wednesday: “The Story-Teller”
Mark Van Doren was a poet, critic, and professor born in Hope, Illinois (a couple hour drive from where I grew up). Educated at the University of Illinois and later Columbia University (where he would later become professor), he won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1940. Highly influential, I first came across Van Doren’sContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “The Story-Teller””
Poetry Wednesday: “She Walks in Beauty”
Though his love life was notorious, even infamous, Lord Byron’s ability to speak of the aesthetics of love is nothing less than profound. Thus, this week’s poem is a good ol’ fashioned love poem. Lord Byron (1788-1824) was an English poet and a leading writer in the Romantic movement. Though in life he may haveContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “She Walks in Beauty””
Poetry Wednesday: “God’s Grandeur”
Sometimes “religious” poem smacks of over-sentimentality. In that case, this isn’t a religious poem. Gerald Manley Hopkins is a master with words, a Victorian poet who reminds us of the “bright wings” of the world. And check out the reading by Stanley Kunitz, another poet. [Note: For some reason I was having difficulty with theContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “God’s Grandeur””
Poetry Wednesday: “The Rose that Grew from Concrete” and “In the Event of My Demise”
I claim to know very little about Tupac Shakur, but, in addition to being a legendary rapper, he was an artist and a poet. Despite a hard life, young Tupac was enrolled in various programs where he studied acting, poetry, jazz, and even ballet. He used his words to raise awareness of the harsh realities ofContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “The Rose that Grew from Concrete” and “In the Event of My Demise””
Poetry Wednesday: “Death, be not proud”
John Donne, a 17th century English poet, wrote “Death, be not proud,” a sonnet, in 1609. This particular poem was published posthumously along with a group of other poems in a collection known as his Holy Sonnets. These sonnets explore deep religious themes and are thought to have been written in a period ofContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “Death, be not proud””
Poetry Wednesday: “Do not go gentle into that good night”
Dylan Thomas, a Welsh poet who died in 1953 at the age of 39, wrote (among other significant works) “Do not go gentle into that good night.” It is one of my favorite poems and feels truly inspired especially when one considers the strict form it is written in: the Villanelle. Please read and listenContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “Do not go gentle into that good night””
Poetry Wednesday: “The Peace of Wild Things”
[Here is my first post entitled “Poetry Wednesday.” This is a pretty new blog to begin with, but this particular idea is fresh-outta-the-oven-new. I like the medium of poetry. I once heard someone describe dance as a pure art since dancers rarely get famous and the peak of a dancer’s life is so short (they’re bodies literally cannotContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “The Peace of Wild Things””
a great, real place 