Poetry Club

[Fed_Da_Man]

Hello,

I was wondering if there would be any interest in creating a poetry discussion group, something along the lines of the book of the month thing they already have going on here.

Haven't really thought out the details because I'm not sure how much interest there would be in something like this. I was thinking we could do like an author a month or if the poem is long enough (something like Paradise Lost) we could devote an entire month to one poem. Obviously we could make extensions if the discussion hasn't died down after one month.

Just a bit of background: I've just started reading poetry myself so I'm not an expert or anything. I have a strong budding interest and I thought it would be neat to begin my journey into poetry by discussing what I read with other like-minded people.

Okay well that's about it I guess. Let me know if you are interested young sirs and madams.

 

[A2R.]

I vote yay. I would be interested.
I didn't know there were such long poems though. Maybe we could do a bi-weekly discussion on moderately sized poems.

 

[RhondaGivings]

I would be interested although I'm no expert in taking apart poems to figure out what the author means. I just like some poetry better than others.

 

[SFG75]

I still have my Norton anthology reader from my undergraduate years. The professor was excellent and I loved his class. A lot of times, college is said to be an "eye opening" experience and his class was a huge part of it for me. A lot of the poetry speaks to man's desire to know about life and how you should live it. The first poems that really grabbed my attention dealt with mortality. I don't know if that was due to being younger and not thinking about the end of life so much, or what. With that being said, When I have fears that I may cease to be has continued to be one that I love to read. My professor passed away a month ago due to cancer. A lot of teachers that I have respected have retired and a few have passed away, it is inevitable, but also a good indicator to me that I need to evaluate where I am now and where I want to be professionally and personally over the next 30 years that I have.

When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high piled books, in charact'ry,
Hold like rich garners the full-ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love!—then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till Love and Fame to Nothingness do sink.