Selected Poems, W B Yeats, Penguin Books, 1991, 224 pp
I have not been a poetry reader much before. I was required to read some in school of course, but except for one or two poets, it never clicked with me. A few years ago a young woman I admire told me Mary Oliver was a beloved poet of hers, so I bought a copy of A Thousand Mornings. Reading a poem a day turned out to work well for me.
After finishing that collection I went to my paltry poetry shelf and found this collection of poems by W B Yeats, probably the best known Irish poet. I had bought it years ago during a trip to Ireland, in Sligo, after visiting Ben Bulben. The Penguin Classics edition I have was published in London in 1991. It contains over 200 poems spanning Yeats's publishing history from 1888-1939.
I found poems I did not understand in the least, though the notes in the back of the book were helpful in those cases. I found poems that just sang to me. It seems that the poet poured into his poetry all his wide range of learning, his romantic life, his political views, and his love of Ireland.
It was fascinating to see the man change, age and grow in wisdom. W B Yeats has influenced many writers. His 1920 poem "The Second Coming" provided the title for Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the title for Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion, and was set to music by Joni Mitchell on her Night Ride Home album. "Under Ben Bulben," 1938, gave Larry McMurtry the title for his first novel, Horseman, Pass By.
I enjoyed my time with Yeats. Because I did not always read a poem everyday, I have had him with me for over two years. I would like to read a biography of this man who also wrote plays and essays and who influenced Ireland so intensely.
I also want to thank two bloggers I follow: Dorothy from Houston, TX, The Nature of Things and Edith from Austria, Edith's Miscellany. Both post a poem every week and have encouraged me to continue my pursuit.
Please help me out by leaving a comment on your favorite poets.
I have never been much of a poetry reader either, but I keep wondering whether I just haven't been trying the right poets. I haven't read many of Yeats's poems, so maybe I need to investigate.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. Try different poets until you find the ones you resonate with.
DeleteI used to read (and write) poetry in my younger years. The last time I wrote en masse was many years ago, probably 2001. I even had a notebook for famous, favorite poems. The closest I've come to poetry in several years was by reading Jorge Luis Borges Complete Poetry--a collection in one volume of all his works. I still have left three or four books in the anthology. He is by far my favorite poet. The poetry I have read in English has been the one I studied in college in a literature class and the ones I get acquainted to through Dorothy; thus, kudos to Dorothy for taking the magisterial banner. ;-)
ReplyDeleteYour many talents! Did you read Borges in Spanish? I am soon going to read his short fiction, Ficciones in translation. It will be my first time to read him. Thank you for telling me about your favorite poet.
DeleteYes, Borges in Spanish. I read one of his poems in translation and found it wanting. He was one of the most cultured men I have read of; his poetry reflects his wisdom and his vast knowledge in a variety of topics. If I could be catapulted to a time past, I would love to meet him. ;-)
DeleteThe difficulty of translation. It makes me want to learn other languages though I am pitiful at doing so. I will have to read him in English and you have made me more eager to do so.
DeleteJust in case you get curious, here is the link to my poetry blog. It has been inactive for several years as I have not added anything new, but you can read my old stuff (no pressure!) ;-)
ReplyDeletehttp://versesofanotherera.blogspot.com
I went to the link you gave me and was told it was no longer there-:(
DeleteOops, I gave you the wrong address. Try this:
Deletehttps://versesfromanotherera.blogspot.com/
Thanks Carmen. I will check it out today. I was a bit distracted yesterday. Actually I still am today but perhaps your poetry will help me out.
DeleteOK, I went to that new address. But it is in Spanish. I can't read Spanish-:( What should I do now? It is a beautiful site!
DeleteSome are in English.
DeleteI read all the poems in English. I liked them, very much. One of my favorites was called, I think, Impossible Love. I hope you write more poems some day.
DeleteThanks, Judy! :-)
DeleteMaya Angelou's poetry is awesome... She's one of my favorite poets.
ReplyDeleteAdrienne Rich is another good poet, but haven't read many of her poems --- Power is my favorite poem by Adrienne Rich. https://www.best-poems.net/adrienne_rich/power.html
Anna Akhmatova is a Russian poet and although I haven't read many of her poems either, but she is good. She's best known for her poem Requiem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_(Anna_Akhmatova)
Thank you Lisa! I will check out these poets. I have always meant to read Maya Angelou but so far I have not.
DeleteI wanted to reread Power by Adrienne Rich and used the link above to find it wonky... So discovered on YouTube there's a voice clip of Adrienne Rich reading her poem, Power! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtX3sDbBqJg
DeleteIt's always interesting to hear poets read there poems... I kind of feel like poetry is sometimes better heard aloud than read, as you have an entirely new experience of the poem itself.
Adrienne Rich! I listened to Power. She is going to the top of my list. I read poetry out loud. It is the only way usually that I can grasp it.
DeleteYes, I agree with you in that I grasp poetry easier when I read it aloud too.
DeleteSince you enjoyed Power, try Adrienne Rich's Diving Into The Wreck... Another voice clip from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c03sWpt62vw&t=73s
Oh, I forgot to add Gwendolyn Brooks as a poet to read... She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1950 and was the 1st African American writer to won a Pulitzer Prize.
DeleteHear Brooks read her poem read her poem We Real Cool on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBpxJb24O8A
Thanks!
DeleteI'm glad you are making room for poetry in your reading. I think we all need a little poetry in our lives. I tend to be a "dipper" into the work of various poets, often ones I've learned about through the Poetry Foundation. BTW, thanks for the shoutout and for introducing me to "Edith's Miscellany."
ReplyDeleteA little poetry is what I am getting, but it does enrich me. Edith reads many interesting books and is especially good on Nobel prize winning authors.
DeleteI'm like Dorothy in that I am a "dipper" into the work of various poets... The only exception is Maya Angelou.
DeleteA noble pursuit: reading poetry. I admittedly have not read a lot of it or kept up with it, but some of those I liked in school were by e.e. cummings, WH Auden, and even William Carlos Williams: The Red Wheelbarrow, ha! "So much depends on" it. ! and then always Emily Dickinson "because I could not stop for Death" ! etc.
ReplyDeleteHello Judy! Thanks for the shout-out!
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, I've never been much interested in poetry, either - probably, because I'm altogether a proasic person ;-). But writing my blog, I found that I was missing out on an important part of literature and started posting "Poetry Revisited" on Edith's Miscellany every Monday. In my collection are (mostly) poems from the pens of poets who died more than 70 years ago so their work is in the public domain in Europe (at least, in the original language).
You are most welcome! I like that you bring the older poetry to your blog, even if it is for a prosaic reason ;-) Thanks so much for stopping by to comment.
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