Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
If I had to pick, I would definitely choose Robert Frost as my favorite poet. At times I've feared that it's too much of a conventional choice, but I love the poems, so who cares. This is one of my favorites. I memorized it in high school for no particular reason. In 7th grade I had to memorize "Nothing Gold Can Stay" when we read The Outsiders, and that was the beginning of my love for Mr. Frost. For some reason I memorized a lot of his poems in high school and they are still with me (mostly). I believe part of the appeal for me is like the poem I wrote about a few months ago-"Keep a Poem in Your Pocket." For me I always read that more figuratively-the keep a poem at the ready when you need it. Frost's poems have always been there for me. They are soothing in their rhyme and steadying rhythm.
Who are your favorite poets? Do you ever memorize poems or have any still in your head from school days? Kids usually hate memorizing poems in school-it always stressed me out. But memorizing them for yourself is much different. What value does it hold today when we can find the text of a poem at the click on a mouse?
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I had to memorize poems for one of my college classes and I thought it was a lovely practice. I was reciting them the other night for my friend's 5 month old. She was very intrigued by Emily Dickinson's "Wild Nights" and Shakespeare's "Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments."
To procrastinate in college I made a Top 10 List of my favorite poems. Let me see what I can remember:
1. Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock -- T.S. Eliot
2. One Art -- Elizabeth Bishop
3. Forbidding Morning? -- John Donne
4. Wild Nights -- Dickinson
5. Reason in faith, a sonnet from Astrophil and Stella by Sir Phillip Sydney
I'm getting foggier on what was left, but was possibly something like:
Previously mentioned Shakespeare sonnet, Roma by Sarah Arvio, Love is not all by Edna St. Vincent Millay and Clear Night by Charles Wright
Yeats' The Second Coming receives Honorable Mentions.
How horrible is it that I can't remember the Nikki Giovanni poem that made the list? Very. Must go home and bond with some Giovanni.
My favourite poem while I was at school was called For Heidi with Blue Hair - I liked it just because the girl in the poem was so radical and I'd never dye my hair blue (I have done fuschia pink though). My other favourite poem is Footprints. I did like the poem that starts "Do not stand at my grave and weep" - however it was a little morbid when I said it so I decided to find another.
I try to memorize them but my head is so full of song lyrics I do better and those lol.
Okay girls here it comes!! Our second Austin Bloggirls meetup tomorrow evening, Wednesday, July 15th, at at 6:30pm! Whoo hoo!! Check your email or the forum discussion for details!!
I generally do not like poetry but enjoy Robert Frost for some reason I can't figure out. I wrote a huge paper on The Road Not Taken in college and got an A on it... maybe that was it! :-)
I'm not a huge fan of poetry, but if I had to pick a favorite poet I would have to say Mary Oliver.
Caitlin! It was so much fun to meet you! I had a great time at dinner and am so bummed we didn't catch that event, but had a fun time attempting to any way and discovering a new store with you : ) . Looking forward to you moving to Austin for good!
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