A poem that I read today by Mac

How many poets does it take to change a light bulb?
jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Tue Oct 10, 2023 3:20 am

This and the Nut-Brown Maid are two of Percy's most famous: https://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/poetry ... spens.html

Here's the opening poem of Night Thoughts (Edward Young): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/ ... mmortality

Here's Gray's Elegy in a Country Churchyard: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/ ... churchyard

ANd here's a full text of Ossian (which is poems in prose): https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Poems_of_Ossian . As for Ossian, I have somewhere a good article on Macpherson's actual antiquarian work in SCotland. Johnson of course hated all things SCottish. 3rd century seems silly, but there were oral "fragments," that much seems clear, out of which he built his text. There was a textual basis, as in Finland (and say Estonia).

This all helped set the stage, 1742-1765ish, for the British Romantic explosion. Blake illustrated Young, 1795-1797.

Cheers,
John
Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Tue Oct 10, 2023 3:40 am

Fab John. That's a rollicking sea salt yarn from Percy. Good 'un. Onto the next 😀
jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Tue Oct 10, 2023 3:55 am

I like the new moon with the old moon in her arms there. The Gray is full of famous lines, like far from the madding crowd. :)

Cheers,
John
Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Tue Oct 10, 2023 3:59 am

Procrastination is the thief of time how apt for me :lol: Young's curt ending made me chuckle.

Yes, Gray's poem is a classic.
Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Tue Oct 10, 2023 4:35 am

As you say John, poems in prose, one for me to dip into on a rainy day. I quite like a bit of saga fantasy to escape the contemporary madness!
jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Tue Oct 10, 2023 5:09 am

A rainy day would suit Ossian to a t!

Glad you enjoyed the Young and the Gray. Procrastination indeed!

You might just enjoy dipping into my Outline of Romanticism in the West, which is free online for download. If you fancy a look, may I recommend just the introduction? Though Chapter One is fun IMO, it covers twelve national traditions, with extracts and translations: https://www.openbookpublishers.com/book ... 7/obp.0302

Cheers,
John
Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Tue Oct 10, 2023 6:27 am

Yes, I did dip into your book John when you first posted the link. I admire and respect your comparative studies of Romanticism. As you argue, the context and understanding of Romanticism cannot be limited by national borders. After all, many of the Romantics were also travellers!
jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Tue Oct 10, 2023 6:50 am

They were indeed! Starting with Keats, Byron, and Shelley of course, who all died overseas, but also Wordsworth in Revolutionary France and Coleridge with his debts to Schelling. There's really no getting away from it.

Thanks for dipping into the book! That's the advantage of free downloads. :)

Cheers,
John
jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Sat Oct 14, 2023 6:55 am

Here's a good line: "I was like you once, he added, in love with turbulence."

Yes, she was a very good poet. A bit academic, but I think now there's no harm in that. RIP.

Cheers,
John
Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Sat Oct 14, 2023 11:39 am

:lol: Indeed not John.
jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Sat Oct 14, 2023 1:08 pm

I have her collected poems and read it with some pleasure. Sparse seems a good word for it.

Cheers,
John
Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Thu Oct 19, 2023 12:56 am

jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Thu Oct 19, 2023 6:59 am

And another Gluck:

Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Thu Oct 19, 2023 7:21 am

:lol:
jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Thu Oct 19, 2023 7:57 am

I like both!
Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Wed Nov 15, 2023 4:54 pm

jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Wed Nov 15, 2023 6:08 pm

And here's another MacNeice I like:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/ ... b58513ffae
Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Wed Nov 15, 2023 7:26 pm

Love it John.
jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Thu Nov 16, 2023 4:46 pm

Hilaire Belloc, master of tetrameter:

https://poetandpoem.com/Hilaire-Belloc/ ... -of-Beasts
Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Thu Nov 16, 2023 5:41 pm

Charming John. The 'discreet' owl is brill.
jisbell00
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 5623
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 4:53 am

Thu Nov 16, 2023 5:43 pm

He makes it all look effortless. To me, that's his great gift. Yup, the owl is brill!
Macavity
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12233
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 10:29 am

Wed Dec 06, 2023 6:52 am

Noted Nash was about the forum, someone who influenced my folktale writing, so here is a poem I remember by him:

https://threedropspoetry.co.uk/2015/01/ ... hn-c-nash/
Post Reply