Spring is like a perhaps hand
(which comes carefully
out of Nowhere)arranging
a window,into which people look(while
people stare
arranging and changing placing
carefully there a strange
thing and a known thing here)and
changing everything carefully…
Excerpt from Spring is like a perhaps hand by E.E. Cummings
While I was reading some poetry on Poets.org tonight I ran across a nifty article compiling Poems on Film. Isn’t that great? I swear if I ever make it on Jeopardy I’m studying that. Heh. Actually I’ve seen a lot of these movies and I’m having a hard time remembering there was even a poem mentioned in some of them! One of my favorite movies, Il Postino, made it on the list of course. Any of your favorites on the list?
12 Comments
I love the poetry in movies link–I am printing that out!! Thanks for sharing it!
Il Postino led me to Neruda and Four Weddings and a Funeral nudged me to purchase a small book of Auden’s poetry. What a neat list – thanks for the link!
I can see at least 2 of my favorites there.
Shadowlands and Adam’s Rib.
And thank you very much for adding me to your links.
I am deeply honored.
‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, apart from being one of my favourite films, (anything that brings John Hannah and Simon Callow together is going to be all right by me) had students who would never have opened a poetry book diving deep into Auden’s work. I now deliberately show parts of the film to my first year undergrads.
Most excellent list! Blake’s “The Tyger” was stunning in The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys. *swoon*
Danielle – I do too! I will have to use the list for the next time I rent a movie.
Nancy – Isn’t that great when one discovery leads you to another one.
Gavin – You are welcome. Shadowlands was a good movie too but oh goodness I remember that one made me cry. Actually Il Postino did too!
Ann – That is fantastic. I think if poetry was approached in a way there might be more fans of poetry.
Andi – I never saw that movie. Okay another one I must see. I wouldn’t mind swooning a bit 🙂
Love the cummings poem. And that poetry in movies link is fun. Somehow I don’t remeber the poetry in Blade Runner. Maybe that’s a good excuse to watch it again 🙂
I suppose everyone’s going to say Four Weddings and a Funeral, but that’s the only one I can think of off the top of my head. That Auden poem means a lot to me. I used part of it for one of my blogs.
I always love reading e.e. Cummings. This was a very good list and there were many memorable poems on there for me, so probably not best to list them out but I like that several movies I enjoyed used this wonderful medium….
Stefanie – Well, now you must see it again right? Can you believe I’ve never seen that movie? sheesh
Les in NE – I should watch Four Weddings again because I barely remember anything about that movie much less the poem. I do love Auden’s poetry too.
Christine – I agree, it’s great to see film makers using poetry. Hopefully another way for people to fall in love with poetry a bit more.
Quite an interesting list! I’m surprised that none of Anne Sexton’s work has been used.