Rupi Kaur Reads From Poetry Collection, Milk and Honey.

Rupi Kaur is a new to me poet and author. Below is more information about her from Wikipedia:

Rupi Kaur (born October 4, 1992) (Punjabi: ਰੂਪੀ ਕੌਰ) is an Indian born Canadian poet, writer, illustrator, and performer. Her debut book, a collection of poetry and prose titled Milk and Honey, was published in 2014.[1] Her second book, The Sun and Her Flowers, was published in 2017. Both of these books contain images, drawn by Kaur and others to help the reader associate a picture with each poem.

Interesting poetry and prose, but I am not sure I love her writing. 

Maya Angelou's Reads Her Poetry

'On the Pulse of Morning'

'Phenomenal Woman'

'Still I Rise'

I am a huge fan of Maya Angelou's poetry and her life's work. The above videos are of Maya Angelou reciting three of my favorite poems she has written: 'On the Pulse of Morning' read on January 20, 1993 at President Clinton's Inauguration (I remember hearing her read this live on television in 1993), 'Phenomenal Woman', and 'Still I Rise'.

I had the honor of hearing Dr. Angelou speak live in my life twice. The first time was while I was a college student at the University of Iowa and the second time was roughly a decade later in Santa Barbara, California with my husband at the Arlington Theatre. Both times hearing Dr. Angelou speak were amazing experiences for me. Dr. Angelou was a very gifted and captivating speaker. She'd dance, sing, recite poetry, and tell the most amazing stories about her life. 

Dr. Angelou is truly treasure and her life is a gift to us all. I can't believe it has almost been five years since her passing. 

I Love You by Paul Éluard

I can't remember when I first came across this specific poem, but it was definitely a couple of decades ago. The following quote about Paul Éluard is from Wikipedia:

Paul Éluard (French: [elɥar]), born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel ([ɡʁɛ̃dɛl]; 14 December 1895 – 18 November 1952), was a French poet and one of the founders of the surrealist movement.

Paul Éluard was at one time married to Gala Dali before she left him and eventually married Salvador Dali.

Happy National Poetry Day!!

In honor of National Poetry Day, I've decided to highlight the day with some poetry by Adrienne Rich.

The below quote about Adrienne Rich comes from Wikipedia:

Adrienne Cecile Rich (/ædriːɛn/;[lacks stress] May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012) was an American poet, essayist and feminist. She was called "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century",[1][2]and was credited with bringing "the oppression of women and lesbians to the forefront of poetic discourse."[3]

Below are two of my favorite poems written and read by Adrienne Rich. The poems make me stop and think about the message that Adrienne Rich is imparting to readers. 

Power by Adrienne Rich

Diving Into The Wreck by Adrienne Rich

What do you think of these poems?

Let me know in the comment section below.

Women by Alice Walker (Poem) ~ Happy International Women's Day!!

Women by Alice Walker has been a long time favorite poem for me! I love the imagery of strong, smart women providing a pathway for future generations. 

Christopher Walken Reading Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”

I remember reading the classic poem, The Raven by Edgar Allan, Poe when I was in middle school (or was it high school that I read this poem?!?!). I remember that I really enjoyed reading The Raven a lot back then. The imagery created by Edgar Allan Poe in The Raven is so vivid, that I could see in my mind's eye what was going on as the poem unfolded.

So, when I discovered an article on the Buzzfeed website last night titled, Christopher Walken Reading Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” Will Make Your Literary-Loving Heart Explode by Alison Caporimo, I couldn't wait to listen to how Christopher Walken read The Raven. 

Let's just say that Christoper Walken's narration of The Raven is downright awesome. Click on the link provided above to be taken to the above article where you'll find a link to listen to Christopher Walken reading The Raven.