All About Books discussion

This thread is for general poetry discussion. Share what poetry you are currently reading, ask for recommendations, etc.

I'm about to start New Hampshire by Robert Frost!

Robert Frost is one of my favorite poets - maybe because he is from my neck of the woods...

I just read a handful of poems by Nobel-prize winner Hermann Hesse. I loved his books in my early twenties but never knew he wrote poetry! Although most of the poems I found online were melancholy, I really liked them.

I would love to try more poetry, maybe I would enjoy it more now I don't have to study it anymore. Maybe I should make it a personal challenge for 2014 to read more poetry anthologies as a way to broaden my reading.

Alannah wrote: "I would love to try more poetry, maybe I would enjoy it more now I don't have to study it anymore. Maybe I should make it a personal challenge for 2014 to read more poetry anthologies as a way to b..."

Alannah, that is what I did this year & it is really working out well. And the Monday poems keep bring new poets to my attention :)

I just picked up Answering Back: Living Poets Reply to the Poetry of the Past from interlibrary loan yesterday. This will be my first month this year with a collection by different authors & I am looking forward to it so much!

A very touching story, told in verse, is All the Broken Pieces. It's about a 12-year old Vietnamese boy who was adopted by an American family. I recommend it for those interested in verse.

I enjoy poetry but don't always "get" it.

Petra wrote: "I enjoy poetry but don't always "get" it..."

I very rarely "get" it but I don't try very hard either most of the time. For that reason, I tend to prefer poems which are readily accessible such as Tennyson, Robert Frost, Emily Dickenson, etc. Although I have been introduced to some lovely poems by more modern poets over in Perks...

Petra wrote: "A very touching story, told in verse, is All the Broken Pieces. It's about a 12-year old Vietnamese boy who was adopted by an American family. I recommend it for those interested in verse.

I enjo..."

I'm like that too, sometimes, Petra. I like to know (or think I know) what the poet is trying to say, and I struggle when it's not clear.

Leslie wrote: "Alannah wrote: "I would love to try more poetry, maybe I would enjoy it more now I don't have to study it anymore. Maybe I should make it a personal challenge for 2014 to read more poetry anthologi..."

I will check that one out as Carol Ann Duffy is the editor and I love her work. I think I like the idea of anthologies because you can easily dip out after a couple of poems and dip back whenever.

I always recommend Billy Collins to people who do not enjoy poetry. He is very accessible and quite funny. He has a Tedtalk where he reads several poems that is excellent.

Katy wrote: "I always recommend Billy Collins to people who do not enjoy poetry. He is very accessible and quite funny. He has a Tedtalk where he reads several poems that is excellent."

You're right, he is quite understandable. I enjoyed reading The Trouble With Poetry - And Other Poems...

Leslie wrote: "Katy wrote: "I always recommend Billy Collins to people who do not enjoy poetry. He is very accessible and quite funny. He has a Tedtalk where he reads several poems that is excellent."

You're r..."

Sounds interesting, I will be sure to try him out.

Leslie wrote: "Petra wrote: "I enjoy poetry but don't always "get" it..."

I very rarely "get" it but I don't try very hard either most of the time. For that reason, I tend to prefer poems which are readily acce..."

This is exactly my problem!

Currently reading an anthology called Life in Verse. 4 famous people have chosen a selection of they favourite poems. It's a real mix of modern and classic and I'm definitely picking out a few personal favourites. I think it's based on a bbc4 or radio 4 programme

Heather wrote: "Currently reading an anthology called Life in Verse. 4 famous people have chosen a selection of they favourite poems. It's a real mix of modern and classic and I'm definitely picking out a few pers..."

I love BBC Radio 4 :) Heather, that sounds like a great collection!

Reading an anthology of poems (in Italian) that have God as the central theme. It is titled aptly as
Poesie di Dio. Interesting and I love some of the poems.

I am looking forward to the first poem being put up. It was always really interesting to see everyone's different tastes in this thread over at Perks.

Alannah wrote: "I am looking forward to the first poem being put up. It was always really interesting to see everyone's different tastes in this thread over at Perks."

Heather begins. And I am also eager with the first poem in AAB. And interestingly I am the one responsible for the last poem to be shared in PERKS.

Dhanaraj wrote: "Alannah wrote: "I am looking forward to the first poem being put up. It was always really interesting to see everyone's different tastes in this thread over at Perks."

Heather begins. And I am als..."

Hahaha! You posted this while I was over at Perks checking out the schedule - you and I are the last two...

I had chosen earlier another poem for the Perks. But then now I am planning to change as Perks is about to be closed. I am searching for an apt poem.

Nice! I call that an apt and fitting conclusion!;) (by the way, I was considering whether it was worth a double posting, one here one at Perks?)

Dhanaraj wrote: "I had chosen earlier another poem for the Perks. But then now I am planning to change as Perks is about to be closed. I am searching for an apt poem."

Can't wait to see what you choose.

I am not sure. I was thinking of selecting a farewell poem for PERKS and that would not be nice for the new group. Lol.

good point Dhanaraj! ;)

I had posted my comment before reading your update on searching for a closing poem, I am just getting really impatient for the Monday Poem to start ;)

Jenny wrote: "good point Dhanaraj! ;)

I had posted my comment before reading your update on searching for a closing poem, I am just getting really impatient for the Monday Poem to start ;)"

Me too!

Monday poem was one of my favourites in PERKS. And I am glad that AAB had also thought of it at the start itself.

Thanks Dhanaraj, I've really grown attached to it too!

I feel lots of pressure to pick a great poem to start things off! Trying to find something with lots of discussion points. I'm enjoying having the extra time

Heather wrote: "I feel lots of pressure to pick a great poem to start things off! Trying to find something with lots of discussion points. I'm enjoying having the extra time"

Thanks to A-level English, you usually find that if you look hard enough you can always find plenty to talk about a poem. I'm sure whatever you pick will be great Heather.

@Dhanaraj - good point. I hadn't thought about a good-bye poem - I need to rethink my choice...

I have a great poem related to our Sea Theme which I am itching to share!!

Leslie wrote: "@Dhanaraj - good point. I hadn't thought about a good-bye poem - I need to rethink my choice...

I have a great poem related to our Sea Theme which I am itching to share!!"

Oh, can't wait for it.

Leslie wrote: "@Dhanaraj - good point. I hadn't thought about a good-bye poem - I need to rethink my choice...

I have a great poem related to our Sea Theme which I am itching to share!!"

I read your poems in PERKS. And now I am waiting for the poem with the sea theme.

How many times can you sign up for this?

@Dhanaraj - I guess it will wait until my turn here comes up on Sept 30th :P

@Alannah - I don't think that there is any restriction as long as everyone who wants a chance to post gets one...

Leslie wrote: "@Dhanaraj - I guess it will wait until my turn here comes up on Sept 30th :P

@Alannah - I don't think that there is any restriction as long as everyone who wants a chance to post gets one..."

That sounds fair.

Alannah, Leslie is right, you can sign up as many times as you want. The only rule of thumb applied is: in very sign-up busy times you get to post every third month to give everybody else a chance. However, since sometimes people drop out or times are quiet, it is still good to let me know that you are interested, and then we just play it by ear.

Jenny wrote: "Alannah, Leslie is right, you can sign up as many times as you want. The only rule of thumb applied is: in very sign-up busy times you get to post every third month to give everybody else a chance...."

Thank you for clearing it up, I would like to sign up since September filled up really quickly, I wanted to see what my Mondays were like before I signed up. If I had a busy Monday it would be unlikely I would remember. I should find out soon about my timetable. Or I'd like to do 16th December and use the poem my granny had used for my birth if that's ok

Sure, no problem! You can also just post it Sunday evening already if you prefer. There is still a spot free in November if you'd like, or else the 16th of December like you suggested. Just let me know.

I think I will be reading a collection of Seamus Heaney's work for my September poetry read.

Katy wrote: "I think I will be reading a collection of Seamus Heaney's work for my September poetry read."

It's so sad isn't it? A terrible loss to the world.

Gill wrote: "Katy wrote: "I think I will be reading a collection of Seamus Heaney's work for my September poetry read."

It's so sad isn't it? A terrible loss to the world."

Terribly sad. One of the first poets as I was ever introduced to and also a poet I had to study frequently in school.

Think I'll be joining Katie in a revisiting a collection of his work soon.

There seem to be quite a few of us here who would love to read a collection of his poems. Some of us were discussing it over at the poem thread I posted today as Alannah had originally planned to make it part of a challenge for herself in 2014 but maybe in the meantime I could set up a readalong for Seamus Heaney, whichever collection each of us is chosing to read, we could meet over there and share thoughts and poems. How does that sound?

Katy wrote: "I think I will be reading a collection of Seamus Heaney's work for my September poetry read."

Nice idea... but I probably won't get to it in Sept. Can anyone recommend a collection or poetry book of his?

Leslie wrote: "Katy wrote: "I think I will be reading a collection of Seamus Heaney's work for my September poetry read."

Nice idea... but I probably won't get to it in Sept. Can anyone recommend a collection o..."

I have one called "New Selected Poems 1966-1987", sorry I can't find it using the add book link, but the ISBN is 0571143725.

Thanks Shirley... weird that it doesn't show up as a link but the ISBN worked like a charm.

Shirley wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Katy wrote: "I think I will be reading a collection of Seamus Heaney's work for my September poetry read."

Nice idea... but I probably won't get to it in Sept. Can anyone recommend..."

Looks really interesting. Even though I do plan to read a collection of Heaney's in 2014 as part of my personal challenge. I will be glad to take part in this readalong.

I'd also be happy to take part in a read along

I've opened a thread for our Seamus Heaney readalong here for anyone who would like to join. It will run all the way through autumn.

Although my poetry book this month (I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats) was cute, sadly the poetry itself was mediocre. Only worth looking at if you are a cat person...