Does anyone have an absolute favourite poem that they’d like to chat about on this site? I have blogged about some of mine (redbotinki.blogpsot.com).
Some years back I sent an article about Louis MacNeice’s “Snow” (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/snow/)to poetry news and its publication started a series on poems that had meant something very special to a number of poets. It was really fascinating.
I still love “Snow” – it would be my “Desert island” poem -(though it might melt there I imagine!). Anyone else got a “desert island” poem?
Desert Island Poems was a suggestion made by Val as a topic for a stanza meeting. There’s no reason why we can’t have both a discussion here and a reading of desert island poems at a future stanza meeting!
There are so many to choose from I’m not sure I can pick out a favourite… I’m very fond of ‘Pour’ by Philip Gross. From the simple act of pouring water from a jug into a glass he’s created something marvellous. Unfortunately, there isn’t a link to ‘Pour’ and its form is such that it won’t replicate well here.
I’m quite fond of ‘Machines’ by Michael Donaghy… like Philip’s ‘Pour’ it’s ostensibly about one subject but diverts off into somewhere marvellous… http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=151
Of course, these two poems I’ve mentioned (many times) before. So should I take something new to my desert island? Well, of course I should… but what?
I agree with you about ‘Pour’ it’s an astonishing poem, so much in so little!
Philip Gross will always have a special place on my shelf ever since that great day he did with us two years or so ago now, when I first discovered cross border poets, so it’s not just his poems I thank him for. Drysalter has been a great read for me, Michael Symmons Roberts, Song of Ascent and On Grace towards the end are both the kind of poem you are tempted to learn by heart so I guess fitting for a desert island companion.