October by Bobbi Katz
It's okay. I should have perhaps kept looking for an actually spooky poem or one that better mimics the season, but after looking a teensy bit I couldn't find a better one. Which is not to say that I hated this poem. It's got some nice imagery and it does hit the high points of the month. However, it seems to me that it lacks any fervor or worthwhile feeling. I don't get a sense of calm or of terror or of beauty from the thing. Maybe it's just me though.
What do you think ?
Favorite line: "and sends the day / to bed / before supper"
Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Catapult (Kimberly Johnson)
Catapult by Kimberly Johnson
Is actually about a catapult. Huh. Beauty in destruction and all that.
I am, however, kind of unimpressed by it. It's nice, but not special. I, at times, found it humorous, which I'm not sure is intentional. It just seems to take itself seriously whereas I found humor in its praising of the "vat of rendered fat" and "flaming haybales". I mean, really, how could I not?
What do you think?
Favorite line: "as if hungering for the earth"
Is actually about a catapult. Huh. Beauty in destruction and all that.
I am, however, kind of unimpressed by it. It's nice, but not special. I, at times, found it humorous, which I'm not sure is intentional. It just seems to take itself seriously whereas I found humor in its praising of the "vat of rendered fat" and "flaming haybales". I mean, really, how could I not?
What do you think?
Favorite line: "as if hungering for the earth"
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Happiness (Paisley Rekdal)
Happiness by Paisley Rekdal
I stumbled upon today's poem, through an impossible to trace collection of clicks, but I am so glad I did. I like its calmness, its steady eye. Sadness is a thing; beauty is a thing; gardens are a thing. All are worthy. Be proud of what your craft does. Find happiness in the doing. Find happiness which stems from unhappiness.
Favorite line: "I can wait longer than sadness. I can wait longer / than your grief."
I stumbled upon today's poem, through an impossible to trace collection of clicks, but I am so glad I did. I like its calmness, its steady eye. Sadness is a thing; beauty is a thing; gardens are a thing. All are worthy. Be proud of what your craft does. Find happiness in the doing. Find happiness which stems from unhappiness.
Favorite line: "I can wait longer than sadness. I can wait longer / than your grief."
Sunday, October 19, 2014
A Letter in October (Ted Kooser)
An appropriately timed poem: A Letter in October by Ted Kooser.
Well, firstly, I wonder a letter to whom. But then, I turn to thinking about what he has written in the letter. I agree that October, that fall is a time to be indoors and be self-reflective.
There are a lot of neat connotations with light and dark and the deer and age. Despite its common language, I think that the middle stanzas are not as clear as they could be. They seem muddled. Or perhaps, it just gives another excuse for deep contemplations in this colder, darker month.
Favorite line: "Dawn comes later and later now, / and I"
Well, firstly, I wonder a letter to whom. But then, I turn to thinking about what he has written in the letter. I agree that October, that fall is a time to be indoors and be self-reflective.
There are a lot of neat connotations with light and dark and the deer and age. Despite its common language, I think that the middle stanzas are not as clear as they could be. They seem muddled. Or perhaps, it just gives another excuse for deep contemplations in this colder, darker month.
Favorite line: "Dawn comes later and later now, / and I"
Friday, October 17, 2014
Holding Posture (Howard Altmann)
Holding Posture by Howard Altmann
Maybe it's because I was never the biggest fan of history class, but this poem by Howard Altmann is uninteresting.
It describes history. It's mildly clever, but I don't see the point in it. There is no magic or myth in the descriptors. History is, apparently, everything ("It keeps time and loses time, /knows its place and doesn’t know its place." etc., etc.) All encompassing and dull, no?
Favorite line: "afternoons it naps"
Maybe it's because I was never the biggest fan of history class, but this poem by Howard Altmann is uninteresting.
It describes history. It's mildly clever, but I don't see the point in it. There is no magic or myth in the descriptors. History is, apparently, everything ("It keeps time and loses time, /knows its place and doesn’t know its place." etc., etc.) All encompassing and dull, no?
Favorite line: "afternoons it naps"
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Mist Everywhere (Nate Pritts)
I hate the new layout of this website, which I used to use all the time for this blog. However, after Googling "poem" tonight, it and this poem were the first to come up (and you, perhaps, thought I used more advanced means to find the quotidian poem, ha).
It's a lovely poem. The thing does seem shrouded in mist, per the title. But then as you progress, the mist clears and then as the boat does from the cut tree, truths emerge. In life, you move about aimlessly, seemingly in a mist. It's hard, it's confusing, it's lonely. But the poem advises, turn to your art, turn to that which only you can see and do and then "nothing will block [your] way".
Favorite line: "But I pray wrong, selfishly"
It's a lovely poem. The thing does seem shrouded in mist, per the title. But then as you progress, the mist clears and then as the boat does from the cut tree, truths emerge. In life, you move about aimlessly, seemingly in a mist. It's hard, it's confusing, it's lonely. But the poem advises, turn to your art, turn to that which only you can see and do and then "nothing will block [your] way".
Favorite line: "But I pray wrong, selfishly"
Monday, October 13, 2014
The Coming of Light (Mark Strand)
The Coming of Light by Mark Strand
It is not too late, this little poem is saying. It has some very pleasant images and I like the brevity of the thing. It is a rather tried-and-true message. Does this poem contribute something new?
Favorite line: "stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows"
It is not too late, this little poem is saying. It has some very pleasant images and I like the brevity of the thing. It is a rather tried-and-true message. Does this poem contribute something new?
Favorite line: "stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows"
Saturday, October 11, 2014
45 Mercy Street (Anne Sexton)
45 Mercy Street by Anne Sexton
Depression. She's searching for the crystal-clear Mercy Street (is almost groan worthy, but based on the originality of the rest of her words, it simply seems clarion, instead of cliche).
It's a trip of a poem. Mildly confusing, entrapping and in the end you get fish in your purse. Life is funny in that way, no?
Favorite line: "and this is no dream / just my oily life / where the people are alibis / and the street is unfindable for an / entire lifetime"
Depression. She's searching for the crystal-clear Mercy Street (is almost groan worthy, but based on the originality of the rest of her words, it simply seems clarion, instead of cliche).
It's a trip of a poem. Mildly confusing, entrapping and in the end you get fish in your purse. Life is funny in that way, no?
Favorite line: "and this is no dream / just my oily life / where the people are alibis / and the street is unfindable for an / entire lifetime"
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Centrifugal (Douglas S. Jones)
Centrifugal by Douglas S. Jones
I like this sweet, short poem. It's pretty explicit, sets the scene well and uses common language in refreshing ways. Not challenging, but good, you know?
Favorite line: "as the tire pulls free the stitches of last night’s sewing"
I like this sweet, short poem. It's pretty explicit, sets the scene well and uses common language in refreshing ways. Not challenging, but good, you know?
 |
| A satisfying poem - just like this image of Spiderman spinning along. |
Favorite line: "as the tire pulls free the stitches of last night’s sewing"
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
haiku #62 (Scott Helmes)
haiku #62 by Scott Helmes
Visual poetry, huh? While I agree that this is art, I'm hard pressed to call it poetry. And while I like (and appreciate) what is written in the paragraph of explanatory text, shouldn't this art, this poem be able to stand on its own?
Favorite line: " " (I like the bottom strip best, for its collection of letters and the shape of the torn paper.)
Visual poetry, huh? While I agree that this is art, I'm hard pressed to call it poetry. And while I like (and appreciate) what is written in the paragraph of explanatory text, shouldn't this art, this poem be able to stand on its own?
Favorite line: " " (I like the bottom strip best, for its collection of letters and the shape of the torn paper.)
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Moths (Caleb Klaces)
Moths by Caleb Klaces
Translation
Writing --> reading
Object (moth) --> its observers (one who is fascinated, one who has a phobia)
Person --> anyone who comes upon them
It's all the same --> perception/difference/sameness. Every observation is made by someone who brings their own interpretation based on their past experiences. These are their alone, therefore their interpretation is also their own. While the author (who was fascinated with moths) may have meant one thing, the translator (have a moth phobia) means something else. The translation will never be exact since it is an interpretation by one person of another's ideas.
As this poem (in a rather lame, rushed way) points out, that even you "must include a version / of almost everyone, lots of versions of some people". You are interpreted by others as you create versions of those you meet.
There is a lot that this poem hints at, but I think it should have been longer or sharper in order to more adequately deal with it all. Or perhaps, I am dealing with my own "moth" here unsupported by what the poet was writing. Lost in translation, indeed.
Favorite line: "Her moths, the ones that were too aptly named, / meant too much"
Translation
Writing --> reading
Object (moth) --> its observers (one who is fascinated, one who has a phobia)
Person --> anyone who comes upon them
It's all the same --> perception/difference/sameness. Every observation is made by someone who brings their own interpretation based on their past experiences. These are their alone, therefore their interpretation is also their own. While the author (who was fascinated with moths) may have meant one thing, the translator (have a moth phobia) means something else. The translation will never be exact since it is an interpretation by one person of another's ideas.
As this poem (in a rather lame, rushed way) points out, that even you "must include a version / of almost everyone, lots of versions of some people". You are interpreted by others as you create versions of those you meet.
There is a lot that this poem hints at, but I think it should have been longer or sharper in order to more adequately deal with it all. Or perhaps, I am dealing with my own "moth" here unsupported by what the poet was writing. Lost in translation, indeed.
Favorite line: "Her moths, the ones that were too aptly named, / meant too much"
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Times Haiku
Lololol, this website is great. According to its About page, these haiku were grabbed from various New York Times articles by an algorithm based on syllable count (but selected for the website by humans).
One. It's a neat trick to pull the right syllable count from text.
Two. It makes for an argument regarding the science of poetry.
Three. It's fun. See, folks, poetry is fun!
Four. It reinforces the fact that poetry surrounds us, all the time, in all places.
Five. It makes me wonder if at some future point, the human editors can be disregarded completely. An advanced program could learn and might be able to figure out from the human's early selections what makes something worthy, what makes a poem good. (And what would constitute that algorithm I'm curious to see.)
Or perhaps that is too science-fiction-y and this website is an amusing 5 minutes of your Internet-time and nothing more.
But it is cool, no?
My favorite haiku on the front page:
Crystals of sugar
cascaded because, of course,
the Duck has no lips.
Of course. Thanks, bot.
One. It's a neat trick to pull the right syllable count from text.
Two. It makes for an argument regarding the science of poetry.
Three. It's fun. See, folks, poetry is fun!
Four. It reinforces the fact that poetry surrounds us, all the time, in all places.
Five. It makes me wonder if at some future point, the human editors can be disregarded completely. An advanced program could learn and might be able to figure out from the human's early selections what makes something worthy, what makes a poem good. (And what would constitute that algorithm I'm curious to see.)
Or perhaps that is too science-fiction-y and this website is an amusing 5 minutes of your Internet-time and nothing more.
But it is cool, no?
My favorite haiku on the front page:
Crystals of sugar
cascaded because, of course,
the Duck has no lips.
Of course. Thanks, bot.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Singles Cruise (Kathryn Maris)
Okay, I confess - I do not understand why the poem Singles Cruise by Kathryn Maris is an accomplished enough poem to be published (!) in Poetry (!) and prominently displayed on the Poetry Foundation website (!).
It's an incredibly dull read. The language is prose-y - the kind of language you'd find a manual or work document. It describes the most commonly found singles on those cruises as those who love either someone who has died or someone who does not return their affection or that they are the person whose affections for a loved one have waned. And since they are all partnered with an impossible match, they keep coming on singles cruises, sustaining the industry.
Is this poem supposed to be (darkly) funny? Perhaps for some, though not for me.
If you like this poem, will you let me know why? I seriously don't see it. But, based on its publication, I get that it's nominally good. I just wonder why/how.
Favorite line: "Some, like the recently widowed, were attached to ghosts."
It's an incredibly dull read. The language is prose-y - the kind of language you'd find a manual or work document. It describes the most commonly found singles on those cruises as those who love either someone who has died or someone who does not return their affection or that they are the person whose affections for a loved one have waned. And since they are all partnered with an impossible match, they keep coming on singles cruises, sustaining the industry.
Is this poem supposed to be (darkly) funny? Perhaps for some, though not for me.
If you like this poem, will you let me know why? I seriously don't see it. But, based on its publication, I get that it's nominally good. I just wonder why/how.
Favorite line: "Some, like the recently widowed, were attached to ghosts."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
