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| Words by Pablo Neruda, Graphic by Quality Peoples |
One of the best things my undergraduate Spanish minor brought to me (besides my handsome boyfriend) was an appreciation for poetry. I can't say that I read poetry regularly; in fact, it's quite the opposite. I rarely do. But throughout my university years, when my studies would require it or when I came across a piece in a newspaper, I would consume it hungrily.
I took several courses that required extensive poetry reading in Spanish (my third and severely neglected language) and I loved it. But my interest in reading poetry fizzled after completing the courses and I didn't think about it for almost three years, until this weekend.
Yesterday, I went for a long stroll through Point Pleasant Park with Abby & a friend of mine, CH. Being surrounded by nature, reminiscing about our childhood travels and camping trips somehow reintroduced the idea of reading poetry again. I don't have the words to explain exactly why this interest suddenly reappeared, but it relates to the feeling I get when surrounded by nature. I'm one of those people who are captivated by the ocean. It makes me want to paint, draw and write. It's an endless source of inspiration for me.
So then why don't I just write poetry? That is because I can't appropriately express nature's inspiration in poetic form without it reading as my pathetic attempts at writing poems in my middle-school diary. His eyes are like the ocean, deep and untold. BLEGH.
Instead, I'll leave the writing to those who do it so well, like Pablo Neruda. All it will take is a quick trip to the library tomorrow.
Do you read poetry? Who is your favorite poet? I'm open to suggestions.
I am not a huge poetry buff or anything, but do have a place in my heart for Pedro Neruda. When taking all of my Spanish classes I picked up The Sea and The Bells at a local bookshop and fell in love. Other than that I have a couple of anthologies of beat poets and am a fan of that non-traditional style. Thanks for the reminder to sneak some poetry back into my life...and oh my do I feel you on the ocean. Water is totally and completely therapeutic to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Sara. I'm glad I sparked your interest. How nice would it be to have a home on the ocean? Oh, the peace and calm...
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ReplyDeleteI know this answer may induce some eye-rolling, but as someone who does regularly roll their eyes at poetry, there's something... indescribable about the work of John Keats. He's obviously a classic Romantic poet (why he's crammed down the throats of English undergrads), but step away from the annoying pomp of "proper English poetry," and you've got the work of an amazing young man who knew not only that he had a gift, but also that he was going to die at a young age. It makes everything he wrote that much more sad, that much more beautiful. He knew everything that he loved would be taken away from him, but he loved life anyway. Joyous and heartbreaking all at once. Go Keats!
ReplyDeleteI never did forget this poem - "I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree." Joyce Kilmer (I think those were the words, learned in elementary school).
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