Everyone should keep a book of poetry about their person.
Even to read four lines of Keats while waiting for a friend will enrich your day.
Here is Keats, for example, on the pleasures of red wine:
O for a draught of vintage! that hath been
Cool'd a long ago in the deep-delved earth,
Tasting of Flora and the country-green,
Dance, and Provencal song, and sunburnt mirth!
What a phrasemaker he was!
Words well chosen can fill your heart with joy.
So reject the empty clatter of the penny dreadfuls and keep a book of poetry on your person at all times.
"Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words."
~~ Robert Frost
9 comments:
Poetry needs all the boosters it can get!
Love those lines from Keats!
Keats is a master and yes I am a poetry lover and have a basket full of books in the living room My favourite quote about poetry is from the dead poet society:
"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."
@Debra - There is a sense that poetry is losing its way; that it has not quite found the audience today that, surely, it deserves. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that poetry today never, or almost never, sells at all.
@Christine - Yes I agree Keats was a master of the Romantic sonnet.
@Marja - I am well aware of your love of poetry Marja and also what a wonderful poet you are yourself. Thanks for reminding me about the film The Dead Poet Society - a inspirational film I must watch again. And that Walt Whitman quote was certainly a memorable one.
Said Hamlet to Ophelia,
I'll draw a sketch of thee,
What kind of pencil shall I use?
2B or not 2B?
The late, great Spike Milligan.
Great post again, Peggy.
My poetry reading is more listening. The lyrics of songs are my poetry. Off the top of my head, Bob Dylan's songs seem the most poetic.
I think the key to your forgotten pleasure is to take time to reflect. Life reflects off everything but when rushed we don't noticed the reflections.
@Mike - The late great Spike Milligan was a funny bastard, just like you my friend. Keep shining mate.
@Bill - Excellent observation Bill. Taking time to reflect is surely an important part of life to help us refine and adjust where we have come from and where we are going.
The lyrics of songs are my poetry too, and I am in awe of great song writers like Bob Dylan, Suzanne Vega, Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed, John Lennon, Neil Young, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen........
Hi there Peggy... I'm in a sentimental mood lately, visiting old 'names' to see if their blogs still excist... most don't but HEY, YOU are still blogging, yaaayyy!!! How are you dear? Hope you are fine... as I see the name "Christchurch" mentioned... we heard it all on the news, so sad.
Poetry: my mum is a poet so yes, I do have lots of poetry in my house (not only hers) Mostly in Dutch, of course, but I LOVE Dylan Thomas, and have his poems in English and I even visited Wales and the places he spend his life ('The boathouse' in Laugharne "...seashaken house On a breakneck of rocks") I wish you a beautiful weekend. Love from the Netherlands!
How lovely to hear from you Marit, I think it's been about 5 years since we last touched base.
I am happy and well but saddened of course with the massacre which occurred in Christchurch.
Dylan Thomas was a legend, and I believe his thoughts and quotes are still relevant and motivate many today. It would have been interesting visiting his home in Wales.
Thanks for the love from the Netherlands Marit, I send you the same love back from Sydney, Australia.
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