Oh Captain! My Captain! - Walt Whitman

I don't read a lot of poetry usually. Every so often, I will read or listen to a poetry reading. 

I recently listened to this reading of 'Oh Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman.

I hope you enjoy it! 

Pablo Neruda - If You Forget Me

 

I don't read a lot of poetry usually. Every so often, I will read or listen to a poetry reading. 

I recently listened to this reading of Pablo Neruda's 'If You Forget Me'.

I hope you enjoy it! 

Poppies - Poem by Jane Weir

 

Here's another poem by a new to me poet! I hope you enjoy listening to 'Poppies' by Jane Weir.

War Photographer - Poem by Carol Ann Duffy

 

Poetry is an area I do not explore frequently enough. In an effort, to seek out new to me poets, I performed an online search for modern day poets. Carol Ann Duffy was a name that popped up during my online search.

With it being Women's History Month, I figured why not focus on a woman poet. Here's what I learned on Wikipedia about Carol Ann Duffy:

She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009,[4] and her term expired in 2019. She was the first female poet laureate, the first Scottish-born poet and the first openly lesbian poet to hold the Poet Laureate position.[5]

Above is an animated video of Carol Ann Duffy's poem, 'War Photographer'. Interesting imagery set to the words of her poem. Enjoy!

Happy World Poetry Day!!

 

Share a few of your favorite poets and poems!

An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo

 

With the month of November being Native American Heritage Month, I decided it would be a very worthwhile endeavor to read at least one book written by a Native American. 

I've been interested in reading a book of poetry written by Joy Harjo for sometime now. Reading a collection of Ms. Harjo's poetry seemed especially pertinent considering that she is the current Poet Laureate of the United States and is the first Native American to hold this esteemed position. 

As a quick side note, I had the honor of hearing Joy Harjo speak virtually last November through the University of Iowa's 'Chat From the Old Cap' event where I learned that Joy Harjo earned her MFA from the Iowa Writer's Workshop in 1978. This virtual event was awesome and further sealed the deal in my resolve to read something written by Joy Harjo.

So, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo and narrated by the author. I prefer hearing poetry read aloud (especially by the author) verses reading it myself as I feel hearing poetry read aloud is more powerful.

I liked many of the poems written and read by Joy Harjo, but three of the poems that stood out were 'Granddaughters', 'For Those Who Would Govern', 'Advice For Countries, Advanced, Developing and Falling'.

Below is a YouTube of Joy Harjo reading 'For Those Who Would Govern':

Listening time for An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo is 1 hour, 41 minutes.

Below is the publisher's summary for An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo from Audible:

A stunning new volume from the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States, informed by her tribal history and connection to the land.

In the early 1800s, the Mvskoke people were forcibly removed from their original lands east of the Mississippi to Indian Territory, which is now part of Oklahoma. Two hundred years later, Joy Harjo returns to her family’s lands and opens a dialogue with history. In An American Sunrise, Harjo finds blessings in the abundance of her homeland and confronts the site where her people, and other indigenous families, essentially disappeared. From her memory of her mother’s death, to her beginnings in the native rights movement, to the fresh road with her beloved, Harjo’s personal life intertwines with tribal histories to create a space for renewed beginnings. Her poems sing of beauty and survival, illuminating a spirituality that connects her to her ancestors and thrums with the quiet anger of living in the ruins of injustice. A descendent of storytellers and “one of our finest - and most complicated - poets” (Los Angeles Review of Books), Joy Harjo continues her legacy with this latest powerful collection.

I am giving An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Wanda Coleman reads her poem "Prove It Why Don't You"

Wanda Coleman (November 13, 1946 – November 22, 2013) was an American poet. and was known as "the unofficial poet laureate of Los Angeles".

Joy Harjo Just Became The First Native American U.S. Poet Laureate

Yesterday, I came across an exciting article on Bustle's website titled, Joy Harjo Just Became The First Native American U.S. Poet Laureate Since The Position Was Created In 1937 by Kerri Jarema. In the article, Kerri Jarema wrote the following information:

Writer, musician and poet Joy Harjo has been named the very first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate since the position was created in 1937.

The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress —more commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate — serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the Poet Laureate celebrates the reading and writing of poetry and works to share their love of the literary form with the nation.

Harjo, who was born in Oklahoma and is a member of the Muskogee Creek Nation, is known for centering Native American stories, lives, and legends in her work, which includes eight poetry collections, her 2012 memoir Crazy Horse, two children's books, and four music albums. Her 1990 collection, In Mad Love and War, won the American Book Award, and her work has garnered various other prestigious awards, including the PEN Open Book Award, the American Indian Distinguished Achievement in the Arts Award, and a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing fellowship. She has also taught at UCLA and the University of Tennessee.

Click on the top link to read the full story. 

Broken Things by Alice Walker

Today marks the last day of National Poetry Month. I've decided to share a YouTube video of Alice Walker reading her poem, Broken Things.

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.

Why Shakespeare Loved Iambic Pentameter Explained In a Ted-Ed Talk!

With April being National Poetry Month, I thought it would be fun to share this video as to why Shakespeare loved iambic pentameter so much. Enjoy!

Dylan Thomas - 'Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night'

Happy National Poetry month! 

Listen to Dylan Thomas's Villanelle poem

'Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night'.

Happy National Poetry Month!!

Have fun reading poetry this month!! Perhaps you'll even have 

fun writing some poetry this month too.

I wrote a Piku Poem in 2011 and dedicated it to my husband.

So read my Piku Poem below!

Quickly sleep

comes,

I dream of you

Now

Kissing me softly,

Lovingly on the side of my neck,

I blush,

awaken with desire

for a kiss from you,

Now, forever

***

So, what is Piku? Well, it's a poem like a haiku.. instead of the 5-7-5 format of haiku, Piku uses pi as its base. The number of syllables in each line of the poem corresponds to the numbers in pi. In other words, as pi is 3.141592653..., the first line of the Piku contains three syllables, the second line contains one syllable, the third line contains four syllables, and so on.

***

So, will you take the piku poem challenge?

If so, share your poem with me in the comments

section below.

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. 

Black History Month - Gwendolyn Brooks - Author Spotlight

Gwendolyn Brooks was an American poet, author, and teacher. Gwendolyn Brooks won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry on May 1, 1950 for Annie Allen, making her the first African American to win a Pulitzer. 

Click on the above video link to hear Gwendolyn Brooks talk about and then recite her poem, 'We Real Cool'.

Ceciliadincetate@mysoul.com by Cecilia Dincetate

For Christmas, I received an autographed copy of a book of poetry written by one of my mother's neighbors titled, Ceciliadincetate@mysoul.com by Cecilia Dincetate. I was able to read this collection of poetry in one sitting.

I love the cover for this book of poetry. I also enjoyed quite a few of the poems. I feel like Cecilia Dincetate is a wonderful poet, but I wasn't in love with her collection of poetry. I feel like there were too many nuances/hidden meanings in too many of the poems to make heads or tales of what the poet was trying to convey to the reader that I didn't fully understand.

I enjoyed reading the biography of Cecilia Dincetate's life at the start of the Ceciliadincetate@mysoul.com the most.

I am giving Ceciliadincetate@mysoul.com by Cecilia Dincetate a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg

To the best of my recollection, I've never read anything written by Allen Ginsberg before. I chose to read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg this year in honor of Banned Books Week.

One of the reasons I chose to read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg was because poetry is something one rarely thinks of as being banned or challenged. 

I also read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg because he was part of the Beat Generation. I haven't read anything from this group of writers before, so this was another reason I read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg. 

Howl was written in 1954 and "contains many references to illicit drugs and sexual practices" (Wikipedia). This eventually led to the 1957 Obscenity Trial, where California Superior Court Judge Clayton Horn found that Howl had "redeeming social importance" (Wikipedia). Thank goodness for judges seeing the redeeming value of free speech and the written word.

As far as Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg goes, I am glad that I read the graphic novel edition of Howl, as Erick Drooker's artistry adds another dimension/layer to this iconic poem. 

Howl makes for interesting reading, but I didn't quite grasp the meaning of the poem in its entirety and all of its nuances... Which meant looking up the meaning of various parts of this poem online.

I am giving Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!