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William Blake
- Thread starter hay82
- Start date
Yes 
Well, I think there is not "RIGHT" way to go about these things. Everybody does things a different way. Some might like to learn all the "meanings" behind poetry and some might prefer just to let them into their hearts and intemperate them that way. Of course some might do a little of both.
When I go to art galleries ( especially modern art ) I never look at the information regarding to the painting. I prefer just to think for myself and feel for myself what meaning it has for me.
Well, I think there is not "RIGHT" way to go about these things. Everybody does things a different way. Some might like to learn all the "meanings" behind poetry and some might prefer just to let them into their hearts and intemperate them that way. Of course some might do a little of both.
When I go to art galleries ( especially modern art ) I never look at the information regarding to the painting. I prefer just to think for myself and feel for myself what meaning it has for me.
hay82
Active Member
I would dislike having to study poetry, but I could imagine that it would be helpfull sometimes to know a bit about it. As for a right way, I think that the right way is the way that each person interprets it.SillyWabbit said:Yes
Well, I think there is not "RIGHT" way to go about these things. Everybody does things a different way. Some might like to learn all the "meanings" behind poetry and some might prefer just to let them into their hearts and intemperate them that way. Of course some might do a little of both.
M
member 737
Guest
That sounds wise, but I, for example, has to know what Blake's "Tyger" means for my literature classes. So, if anyone would like to share their thoughts about this poem with me, I would be grateful.SillyWabbit said:
hay82
Active Member
Awake, awake my little Boy!
Thou wast thy Mother's only joy:
Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep?
Awake! thy Father does thee keep.
"O, what land is the Land of Dreams?
What are its mountains, and what are its streams?
O Father, I saw my Mother there,
Among the lillies by waters fair.
Among the lambs clothed in white
She walked with her Thomas in sweet delight.
I wept for joy, like a dove I mourn -
O when shall I return again?"
Dear child, I also by pleasant streams
Have wandered all night in the Land of Dreams;
But though calm and warm the waters wide,
I could not get to the other side.
"Father, O Father, what do we here,
In this land of unbelief and fear?
The Land of Dreams is better far
Above the light of the Morning Star."
The Land of dreams - William Blake
Thou wast thy Mother's only joy:
Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep?
Awake! thy Father does thee keep.
"O, what land is the Land of Dreams?
What are its mountains, and what are its streams?
O Father, I saw my Mother there,
Among the lillies by waters fair.
Among the lambs clothed in white
She walked with her Thomas in sweet delight.
I wept for joy, like a dove I mourn -
O when shall I return again?"
Dear child, I also by pleasant streams
Have wandered all night in the Land of Dreams;
But though calm and warm the waters wide,
I could not get to the other side.
"Father, O Father, what do we here,
In this land of unbelief and fear?
The Land of Dreams is better far
Above the light of the Morning Star."
The Land of dreams - William Blake
direstraits
Well-Known Member
I had missed this thread earlier, and it's great! I was listening to my _Greatest Poems of All Time Part I - from Antiquity to the 1850s_ which I had bought from Audible some time back, and it had Ozymandias, Tyger, Tyger by Blake, The Raven, and even Marvell's To His Coy Mistress. Hearing them read aloud is a great experience - totally agree with that.
I really like Clement Moore's A Visit from St Nicholas (keeping with the season's festivities).
My favourite poem though, is probably Robert Frost's The Road Less Travelled.
The Road Less Travelled
by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
For it was grassy, and wanted wear
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
Both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day;
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the road less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
ds
p.s. Are we okay posting poems on a public forum? You know, with copyright and all that?
I was listening to my _Greatest Poems of All Time Part I - from Antiquity to the 1850s_ which I had bought from Audible some time back, and it had Ozymandias, Tyger, Tyger by Blake, The Raven, and even Marvell's To His Coy Mistress. Hearing them read aloud is a great experience - totally agree with that.I really like Clement Moore's A Visit from St Nicholas (keeping with the season's festivities).
My favourite poem though, is probably Robert Frost's The Road Less Travelled.
The Road Less Travelled
by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
For it was grassy, and wanted wear
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
Both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day;
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the road less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
ds
p.s. Are we okay posting poems on a public forum? You know, with copyright and all that?
novella
Active Member
direstraits said:I really like Clement Moore's A Visit from St Nicholas (keeping with the season's festivities).
It's been established that Moore didn't write that poem, but lifted it from someone else and took the credit publicly for his whole life. A lot was written about that in various papers last year.
hay82
Active Member
I really liked that poem by Robert Frost and I'll have to see what else he has written.
I thought about that, but I couldn't find anywhere on the page I got the willam blake poem from, that said anything about copyright.. But if it isn't okay, then they are easy to remove again..direstraits said:
direstraits
Well-Known Member
Probably okay for Blake, but I'm not so sure about Frost.
ds
Sure, as long as they are not dragging me away to some prison at the same time...hay82 said:
ds
hatter
New Member
on poetry
The good thing about poetry is you can usually read a few in the shop and decide whether you like the writer's style before you buy the book!
I agree with all the comments on interpretation. I can remember having a poet come to talk to us at school (though I can't remember his name now) and he basically said that whatever we thought the poem meant was right. He may not have written it with that in mind, but who knows what happens subconsciously or how things will speak to you.
Also, just on the copyright issue, I'd assume it's like any academic reference. As long as you quote the source and don't try to pass it off as your own it's all ok. You're only putting individual poems up, not a whole book, and you're not making any profit out of it, so there shouldn't be a problem.
The good thing about poetry is you can usually read a few in the shop and decide whether you like the writer's style before you buy the book!
I agree with all the comments on interpretation. I can remember having a poet come to talk to us at school (though I can't remember his name now) and he basically said that whatever we thought the poem meant was right. He may not have written it with that in mind, but who knows what happens subconsciously or how things will speak to you.
Also, just on the copyright issue, I'd assume it's like any academic reference. As long as you quote the source and don't try to pass it off as your own it's all ok. You're only putting individual poems up, not a whole book, and you're not making any profit out of it, so there shouldn't be a problem.
direstraits
Well-Known Member
What if I printed his poems on a T-shirt and started walking around in a supermarket?hatter said:
ds
hatter
New Member
I guess that's kind of different ... it's not exactly a reference ... now you've completely confused me! (it's not that hard, don't worry)
Poetry is one of those things that just feels like it should be shared. Printing it on a T-Shirt is an exceptional approach to this sentiment though. I think you'll have to refer to higher authorities direstraits.
Poetry is one of those things that just feels like it should be shared. Printing it on a T-Shirt is an exceptional approach to this sentiment though. I think you'll have to refer to higher authorities direstraits.
Poetry
I used to realy hate poetry. I thought it was all kindof pointless and pretentious things and people made me realy dislike the whole thing. But after speaking to a collegue about the bad taste poetry left in my mouth I recognised how to understand it!!! forget all things like sonnet formats, iambic tritametar and blank verse. Like prose, its just there to tell a story, and is just the bare bones of a story! Consequently, I am very suspicious of over 'flowery' form concerned poetry, as they often miss the point of literature at all (i.e. the rhetoric and form is great, but it dosent convey any feelings or plot!) so I have enclosed a short list of poets (and poems) that I think are great and realy express what poetry is all about!
"V" by Tony Harrison
"Goblin Market" by Christinna Rossetti
"The Rape of the Lock" by Alexanda Pope
Anything by Sylvia Plath!
"Paradise Lost" by John Milton (perservere with this one & get a good edition with good footnotes- its well worth it!)
Anything by Binta Breeze
"Limbo" and "Bye-Child" by Seamus Heaney
Anything by Keats!
best stop, I'd just go on and on!
I used to realy hate poetry. I thought it was all kindof pointless and pretentious things and people made me realy dislike the whole thing. But after speaking to a collegue about the bad taste poetry left in my mouth I recognised how to understand it!!! forget all things like sonnet formats, iambic tritametar and blank verse. Like prose, its just there to tell a story, and is just the bare bones of a story! Consequently, I am very suspicious of over 'flowery' form concerned poetry, as they often miss the point of literature at all (i.e. the rhetoric and form is great, but it dosent convey any feelings or plot!) so I have enclosed a short list of poets (and poems) that I think are great and realy express what poetry is all about!
"V" by Tony Harrison
"Goblin Market" by Christinna Rossetti
"The Rape of the Lock" by Alexanda Pope
Anything by Sylvia Plath!
"Paradise Lost" by John Milton (perservere with this one & get a good edition with good footnotes- its well worth it!)
Anything by Binta Breeze
"Limbo" and "Bye-Child" by Seamus Heaney
Anything by Keats!
best stop, I'd just go on and on!