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Re-listened to as an audiobook

Originally I wanted to read this one before watching the movie but whatever. Here we are...

Currently listening to the audiobook

I need a Jane Austen reread now

I bought this one blindly. It was wrapped and I only had a brief summary to go by and thought it sounded like fun ...

I need a Bridgerton break

I'm doing this for the shits and giggles

"The Fawn" by Edna St Vincent Millay

A magical poem about the mythical creature of the Fawn and how the narrator of the poem meets it one day.

"Leisure" by W.H Davies

A poem about the beauty and nature and how very often our busy lives keep us from enjoying it. The poem is all about taking time to stand still for a moment, relax and enjoy the beauty around us.

"May Day" by Sara Teasdale

Instead of going on about typical May Day traditions, this poem celebrates spring and beauty and feelings of love.

"The Hippopotamus's Birthday" by E.V Rieu

I tried to read this out loud, me trying to pronounce "Hippopotamus" is embarrassing. Next one.

(I know that doesn't say anything about the quality of the poem, but I really don't have much of an opinion here.)

"The Emperor's Rhyme" by A.A Milne

And we're back to Milne. This poem is fun to read for all the rhymes it has. But why does it have to be Math? Anyways, it borders on nonsense, not as much as any Lewis Carroll poem, but close.

"The Tickle Rhyme" by Ian Serraillier

A cute little rhyme about a caterpillar learning to crawl. It's quite adorable.

"Child's Song in Spring" by Edith Nesbit

A sweet children's song about the coming of spring, especially how beautiful the trees look.

"Shakespeare" by Matthew Arnold

A Shakespeare fan's ode to Shakespeare! He mourns his death, celebrates his genius and praises art itself, all with a little bit of dramatic flair and in the form of a sonnet nevertheless. If Shakespeare could've sent fan mail to himself, that would've probably been it.

"from Henry VIII" by William Shakespeare

Another excerpt from a Shakespeare play. And hey, this time I have actually seen the play (in the Globe!), I just can't remember if they kept that part in. Anyways, the Orpheus myth is beautiful and tragic (listen to the Soundtrack of "Hadestown") and obviously Shakespeare finds the ideal words to describe the figure of Orpheus.

"from The Tempest" by William Shakespeare

An excerpt from Shakespeare's play The Tempest. I think it's cleverly chosen because it works without any context or knowledge of the play. Beautiful, yet somehow melancholic and somber.

"Sonnet 18" by William Shakespeare

Probably Shakespeare's most famous sonnet (and that guy wrote 154) I don't think there is anything to say about this one that hasn't been said yet. Rather you like it or not (I do!) it is iconic and so memorable for a reason.

"A Dream within a Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe

I gotta admit, I have such a weakness for Poe's writing (in a way, the weirder the better). This poem tackles the thin line between dream and reality, a topic often present in Poe's writing. Compared to his other works it is rather simple and straightforward but nevertheless enjoyable.

"In Memoriam (1915)" by Edward Thomas

A poem that reminds people of the horrors of war and lives lost. It's sad how important it is still today.

"Cynddylan on a Tractor" by R.S Thomas

Gotta give it to the Welsh, I have no idea how to pronounce that name (the farmer in the poem, not the author, obviously). It's about industrialization and a farmer's thoughts on it. It's short but profound.

"Be Like The Bird" by Victor Hugo

Not to be confused with "I'm Like A Bird" by Nelly Furtado. It's a very short, yet sweet poem. Hugo did more than write long, depressing novels after all.

"Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A very famous ballad about the famous midnight ride of Paul Revere. Honestly, history should always be taught in verse because it makes it so much more fun to read.

"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth

To me, this has to be one of the most famous poems ever written. It was probably part of most literature classes I took at university. Anyways, I enjoy it a lot.

"The Skye Boat Song' by Sir Harold Boulton

I think I know a song version of this one...

"The Convergence of the Twain" by Thomas Hardy

Basically it tells the story of the Titanic and the moments before it hits the iceberg. I don't know what it is, didn't really capture me.

"O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman

I love Walt Whitman's style of writing. Just mentioning it. This poem was a response to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, but personally I will always associate it with Dead Poets Society.

"Baisakhi" by Anon

A short poem about the Sikh religion. It's interesting to read because it's part of a culture I admit I know nothing about.

"Song in Space" by Adrian Mitchell

A conversation between the first man in space and Earth herself. With a plot twist. Oceans exist because the Earth is constantly crying from being mother to the human race. Yep...

"Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

I knew the story before from one of Disney's war time package movies. I was aware that this was based on a story, I just never knew it was a ballad.