Month: April 2022

Post #3 for National Poetry Month. I would be remiss if I did not highlight Emily Dickinson. There are several of hers I like, but one of my favorites is “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”.

Fun Fact regarding her poems. In one of my exams in a college Literature classes we were given a set of poems and we had to identify the poet who wrote it. The trick to identifying a Dickinson poem was that most of hers can be sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace.” Likewise, her poems and “Amazing Grace” can also be sung to the tune of “The Yellow Rose of Texas” and the theme song of “Gilligan’s Island.” Hope I have successfully planted an ear worm in each of your brains for the day. You’re Welcome.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-dickinson?fbclid=IwAR3ErbITWO7IUWz5LB3HH2sxS_V9diBA5RBoQ3FLYwJEEXR8zdL42g5Ddi4

In honor of National Poetry month, here is my second post high-lighting poets or poems that I have enjoyed over the years. For my take in why poetry matters see my previous post from last week.

This is a poem I have encountered and studied many times throughout the years with both my personal reading and my literature studies in college. It ranks up there with my favorite top ten. Mostly, because for such a short poem it tells a big story. Rich’s masterful use of imagery and metaphor are a talent I aim for (but struggle with and fall short with) in my own poetry. Simple understated phrases reveal so much. The lines “The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band / Sit heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand,” combined with “ringed with ordeals she was mastered by” tell us so much about the harsh life she endured within the confines of marriage without having to explicitly explain it. Especially when combined with the fact that the tigers she is creating “do not fear the men beneath the tree.” The poem is ultimately a poem bemoaning a period of time when women did not have the freedom, voice, and self-agency that we do today (especially in this country). So, why and how does a poem like that speak to me as a never married woman who though very supportive of women’s rights certainly doesn’t consider herself a raving feminist. (We can have the discussion about raving feminists another day if that raises questions for anyone.) Although on the surface this poem speaks of one person and one issue, I believe the underlying message and framework can be applied to many situations and issues. Most of us at some point, whether for a lifetime or just a period of time, have felt constrained, held back, forced to be silent, or stuck because what we want or desire for ourselves runs contradictory to the ideas of our family or society as a whole. It may not be a wedding band that sits heavy on our hand. But we can feel the weight of other’s opinions and judgments just the same. And we, like Aunt Jennifer, find ourselves sitting in envy of the tigers who “Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.”

https://allpoetry.com/Aunt-Jennifer’s-Tigers

April is National Poetry Month. Stay with me please! I know the idea of reading poetry doesn’t appeal to all people. I’ve heard many people say “I hate poems,” or “I never understand poetry.” That hurts my soul, because I believe the truth underlying those statements is either that the person has never been properly taught how to read and appreciate poetry or that they only remember being forced to read poetry in school and never really connected with poems that spoke to them. Yes, some poems are hard. There are many I read that I come to the end and say, “I don’t get it. I don’t like it. It’s not for me.” And that’s okay. Because there are others that I read that awaken emotions in me and reflect who I am and what I have experienced and it’s like spending time in the presence of a good friend. My goal was from the beginning of this month to share some of my favorite poems and poets each day of April. Obviously, I failed at that. But over the next couple of days I am going to try to change that. Please be open and check some of these out. And even if there is a poem you don’t understand as a whole but it does have that one line or turn of phrase that speaks to you, hold on to that. Because that is enough. And don’t be ashamed of the ones you don’t get or don’t like. It’s fine. Just like novels, non-fiction books, and yes even movies, we all have our own genres that work for us. Doesn’t make one wrong or right. It just makes us different. And that is a good thing.

I have started today with Robert Morgan who is a native North Carolinian. He is currently a literature professor at Cornell University. I find many of his poems to be accessible in a way that they present simply with easily recognizable ideas or things. But within that simplicity can be some very profound meanings and truths. There are many layers within his poetry. That is one reason I wanted to start with him. I think whether you are a poetry reading novice dipping your toes in the water or you are an experienced reader who can deep dive into the depths, you can appreciate his work.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/robert-morgan?fbclid=IwAR1AC1fdKzKQpBbz1fhDqZuxKmRXdSQ_-LkN-0ctVqoO5p_J0o_hr_eKi_o#tab-poems