Inspired by Heather’s Poetry Thursday posts I had to share this one with you.
I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide
or press an ear against its hive.
I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,
or walk inside the poem’s room
and feel the walls for a light switch.
I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author’s name on the shore.
But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.
They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.
Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins.
Ah who hasn’t felt that way about poetry sometimes right? I’ve been reading Poetry 180 and 180 More lately and am enjoying poems from the playful to the thoughtful to the provocative. You can find a lot more poems at the Poetry 180 web site. Enjoy.
I forgot poetry Thursday again. Crap. But the link looks really good and I love the poem. It’s so true. Especially with the poems by Waldon and Emerson I remember sitting at my desk at night reading for school and thinking, “What in the world are you trying to say?”
Oh my BG…I found this great poem by Billy Collins on Shelf Life’s blog just yesterday. Enjoy…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrEPJh14mcU
I really like that poem and need to get over to poetry 180. I should also get back to reading more poetry…I used to do that all the time…
Have a great weekend.
I never studied poetry in school so when I read a poem now I don’t really have a clue. I think I enjoy poetry more because of it – I’m not trying to analyze it. I like this one and found the imagery very playful. Great choice for your Poetic Thursday post.
Convergence of like Minds!
Read today’s http://www.maggiereads.blogspot.com/
Hi there. I came across your site and was very interested since I love books.I have been reading some of your posts and just realized that you could help me out in a problem I have. Well you see my history teachers wants me to do a critical review of a historical novel that is about the 19th century or up to 1876 at least because that is what we are studying. Do you by any chance know any book that fits that criteria? Please, it would be very much appreciated.
P.S. It can’t be any Gore Vidal books like Burr,Lincoln, or 1876 because my teacher knows I have read them already.
How about The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre by
Dominic Smithskip? Paris-1840s
Nik – I finally remembered to post one 🙂
Maggie – I loved that! Thank you for sharing the link.
Christine – You need to get the books too. I have a feeling you’d like them a lot. Enjoy your weekend too girl!
Heather T. – Thank you for your poetry posts!
Isabel – I saw Maggie’s link. I like that convergence of like minds thingie 🙂 And, thanks for the tip of Jusselia.
Jusselia – I do like historical fiction quite a bit and right off the top of my head I’d recommend Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. Good Luck with your project!
OMG – I was at the library this afternoon and I was just reading Billy Collins and I stumbled on this poem. I wanted to write it down in my notebook there and then.
Hah! The universe is playing with coincidence again.
Yay! One of the best poems ever!
Dark Orpheus – I love it!
Andi – So glad you liked it 🙂