Favourite poet or poem?

[caseys]

Morning all,

 

I'm doing a little present for my girlfriend's birthday, she's a big fan of prose and poetry and I'm making a leather bound book and doing some fancy caligraphy compiling a lot of good poems, I've picked all my favourites but I would like to also find out people's choices here as to what they love.

 

So far my choices of poets are:

 

Rudyard Kipling, Charles Bukowski, E E Cummings, Homer, Shakespear, Milton, Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, and Wilde.

 

Anyone here into much poetry? Or have just a favourite poem or even verse from a song? I'd love to hear any of your suggestions I hope I'm surprised by the variety of culture on here

[michael]

I own one poety book, Serj Tankian's 'Cool Gardens' - does that mean he's my favourite?

 

I prefer my poems to be set to music to be honest, yes I'm a heathen.

[Charlotte]

W H Auden is one of my favourites (the poem stop all the clocks is amazing).

 

What kind of poems does she like - romantic etc?

[Digsy]

LMAO at how Homer is linked in the list of poets

[stuohy]

I really like Kahil Gibran... I think he was a very clever poet and love the way he uses language... some of it is very romantically written as well so may help in your quest. http://www.katsandogz.com/gibran.html

 

Also, of course Jack Kerouac

[Thorin]

I've always liked William Blake's Auguries of Innocence, in particular the first passage...

 

To see a world in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour.

[danhicks22]

So far my choices of poets are:

 

Rudyard Kipling, Charles Bukowski, E E Cummings, Homer, Shakespear, Milton, Blake, Worsworth, Coleridge, Keats, and Wilde.

 

 

I've not read any of Darryl's stuff, can someone point me in the direction?

[Gaz6002]

Big-up T. S. Eliot

 

Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw--

For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law.

He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair:

For when they reach the scene of crime--Macavity's not there!

 

Macavity, Macavity, there's no on like Macavity,

He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.

His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,

And when you reach the scene of crime--Macavity's not there!

You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air--

But I tell you once and once again, Macavity's not there!

 

Macavity's a ginger cat, he's very tall and thin;

You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.

His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly doomed;

His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.

He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;

And when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake.

 

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,

For he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.

You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square--

But when a crime's discovered, then Macavity's not there!

 

He's outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.)

And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard's.

And when the larder's looted, or the jewel-case is rifled,

Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke's been stifled,

Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair--

Ay, there's the wonder of the thing! Macavity's not there!

 

And when the Foreign Office finds a Treaty's gone astray,

Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way,

There may be a scap of paper in the hall or on the stair--

But it's useless of investigate--Macavity's not there!

And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say:

"It must have been Macavity!"--but he's a mile away.

You'll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs,

Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.

 

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macacity,

There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.

He always has an alibit, or one or two to spare:

And whatever time the deed took place--MACAVITY WASN'T THERE!

And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known

(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)

Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time

Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!

[Mike]

Jack Kerouac (again!)

[AndrewOW]

LMAO at how Homer is linked in the list of poets

 

 

He's obviously multi-talented

[Gaz6002]

This one is one of my favourites (Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) - Crossing the bar):

 

 

SUNSET and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea,

 

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

Turns again home.

 

Twilight and evening bell,

And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

When I embark;

 

For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crossed the bar.

[caseys]

I own one poety book, Serj Tankian's 'Cool Gardens' - does that mean he's my favourite?

 

I prefer my poems to be set to music to be honest, yes I'm a heathen.

 

Actually songs can be included. I'm a big SOAD fan and was going to include Ddevil in there as I loved listening to their first album through college. Just because I mainly list romanticism era poetry as my inspirations doesn't mean I'm not into some heavy music last time I saw them live I went away with only one shoe and a bloody nose though.

 

Thanks to you all for suggestions so far, all of them are good and please keep them all coming

 

Charlotte, I'm after romantacism mainly but also on the look out for anything classical or thought provoking and surreal, hence the Bukowski and Cummings

[Lbm]

Stevie Smith

-Not Waving But Drowning

 

Nobody heard him, the dead man,

But still he lay moaning:

I was much further out than you thought

And not waving but drowning.

 

Poor chap, he always loved larking

And now he's dead

It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,

They said.

 

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always

(Still the dead one lay moaning)

I was much too far out all my life

And not waving but drowning.

[jim_supra]

W. H. Davies - Leisure

 

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

 

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

 

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

 

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

 

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

 

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

 

A poor life this is if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare

[Charlotte]

The most moving thing I've heard lately is Death Cab for Cutie - I'll follow you into the dark.

 

http://www.lyricstop.com/albums/deathcabforcutie/iwillfollowyouintothedark.html

 

I love the lyrics.

[RedM]

Walt Whitman for old stuff.

 

Henry Rollins for current, angsty stuff.

[DJButler]

Far away from friends and loved ones

On the shore a soldier lay

Gathered round him all his buddies

and to them these words did say

 

There's a lamplight in the window

where an angel from above

gently rocked my baby cradle

with such tender care and love

 

Mother, dearest darling mother

It would ease this awful pain

if you'd sing until i'm sleeping

Rock my cradle once again.

 

Tonight beneath the sands he's sleeping

on an island far away

though the years go by in sorrow

I still recall his words today

 

Mother, dearest darling mother

It would ease this awful pain

if you'd sing until i'm sleeping

Rock my cradle once again.

 

Hank Williams 1923-1953

[Mike]

The most moving thing I've heard lately is Death Cab for Cutie - I'll follow you into the dark.

 

http://www.lyricstop.com/albums/deathcabforcutie/iwillfollowyouintothedark.html

 

I love the lyrics.

 

Miserablist!

[turbonut]

The pre-raphaelite poet Elizabeth Barratt Browning, one of my favourites:

 

If thou must love me, let it be for nought

 

 

 

If thou must love me, let it be for nought

Except for love's sake only. Do not say

"I love her for her smile her look her way

Of speaking gently, for a trick of thought

That falls in well with mine, and certes brought

A sense of ease on such a day"

For these things in themselves, Beloved, may

Be changed, or change for thee, and love, so wrought,

May be unwrought so. Neither love me for

Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheek dry,

A creature might forget to weep, who bore

Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!

But love me for love's sake, that evermore

Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.

 

Thomas Hardy wrote some very beautiful although hauntingly sad poetry as well as his novels.

 

I found this book has a super selection for more exploration - Nation's Favourite Love Poems:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nations-Favourite-Love-Poems-Poetry/dp/056338378X

 

Lxx

[RedM]

If you want gorgeous song lyrics then there is a (now defunct) band called Waxwing. Their singer/songwriter is Rocky Votalato. Really good stuff.

 

'Where Did The Time Go?' lyrics

This is no longer nor will it ever be that way

Again, cause there are too many

Boxes stacked high upon each other.

Where did the time Go

Where did the time Go to

Look through each one and decide,

Decide what was most important

To keep, and to keep us strong,

Aid us in our Journey.

Journey Through this Valley

Valley of unending chaos, unrest

Valley of Darkness and Death.

This is no longer nor will it ever be that way

Again, cause there are too many

Boxes stacked high upon each other.

Where did the Time Go

Where did the time Go to

Look through each one and decide,

Also what should be left behind.

Sever anything that unduly burdened,

With the hope that you and I

Would be valued important enough to be,

Kept on for the ride, Hell even carried at times.

As we Journey through this Valley.

 

Here performed live at one of his solo gigs.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-MJpkUU2W3k

[Charlotte]

Miserablist!

 

I do not listen to gloomy music!

[Mike]

I do not listen to gloomy music!

 

I listened to Plans again last night and it's still amazing...

 

I was trying to ween myself off DCFC, but they've got me... good and proper.

[TLicense]

High Flight

 

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .

 

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

 

Plt Off Gillespie Magee, Jr.

[Rob]

The most moving thing I've heard lately is Death Cab for Cutie - I'll follow you into the dark.

 

http://www.lyricstop.com/albums/deathcabforcutie/iwillfollowyouintothedark.html

 

I love the lyrics.

 

I first thought you meant the lyrics to the song Death Cab for Cutie by the Bonzos.

[marc_p]

LMAO at how Homer is linked in the list of poets

 

Homer was an ancient greek poet, surely you must of heard of Homers Odyssey.