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A while ago we were talking about poetry one Wednesday Dungeon Night and I mentioned an old poem I rather liked. Here it is:

BENEDICITE


GOD?S love and peace be with thee, where
Soe?er this soft autumnal air
Lifts the dark tresses of thy hair!

Whether through city casements comes
Its kiss to thee, in crowded rooms,
Or, out among the woodland blooms,

It freshens o?er thy thoughtful face,
Imparting, in its glad embrace,
Beauty to beauty, grace to grace!

Fair Nature?s book together read,
The old wood-paths that knew our tread,
The maple shadows overhead, --

The hills we climbed, the river seen
By gleams along its deep ravine, --
All keep thy memory fresh and green.

Where?ere I look, where?ere I stray,
Thy thought goes with me on my way,
And hence the prayer I breathe to-day;

O?er lapse of time and change of scene,
The weary waste which lies between
Thyself and me, my heart I lean.

Thou lack?st not Friendship?s spell-word, nor
The half-unconscious power to draw
All hearts to thine by Love?s sweet law.

With these good gifts of God is cast
Thy lot, and many a charm thou hast
To hold the blessed angels fast.

If, then, a fervent wish for thee
The gracious heavens will heed from me,
And should, dear heart, its burden be?

The sighing of a shaken reed, --
What can I more than meekly plead
The greatness of our common need?

God?s love, --unchanging, pure, and true, --
The Paraclete white-shining through
His peace, --the fall of Hermon?s dew!

With such a prayer, on this sweet day,
As thou mayst hear, and I may say,
I greet thee, dearest, far away!

John Greenleaf Whittier, 1851

Any opinions on it?

A very nice poem indeed. I have very few points of reference though!

finally i find out what all the fuss you kept making was about, and i'm glad to say i was not disappointed - certainly brought some cheer to my office on this miserable morning. and to return the favour, here's one of my favourite poems by the late great wh auden:-

THE MORE LOVING ONE

Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.

How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.

Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.

Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total darkness sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.

WH Auden 1957

This is a personal favourite. Complaint by Allan Ahlberg

The teachers all sit in the staffroom.
The teachers all drink tea.
The teachers all smoke cigarettes
As cosy as can be.

We have to go out at playtime
Unless we bring a note
Or it's tipping down with rain
Or we haven't got a coat.

We have to go out at playtime
Whether we like it or not.
And freeze to death if it's freezing
And boil to death if it's hot.

The teachers can sit in the staffroom
And have a cosy chat.
We have to go out at playtime;
Where's the fairness in that?

Totally unfounded by the way.
There's no smoking any more! Ha ha!!!

On a more serious note my favourite poem is Remember by Christina Rossetti.

Lines Composed (blah de blah) Tintern Abbey is my favourite. By Mr Wordsworth. I really love the way he describes man's place in nature, man and buildings blending into the landscape (ie as we should blend into nature) and just the opening, where I can really feel the length of waiting and the massive joy at being back. Anyway, it's far too long to copy in, but you can find it here:

http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/disp ... m2343.html

Also, almost anything by Spike Milligan, natch.

Goddamit logged myself out again! That was me!

spike milligan is hysterical - i haven't read his poetry, but i've got a copy of Puckoon and a volume of his war journal and both are priceless

"Silly Verse for Kids" for silly stuff, or there's a website tribute to Spike which has some selections from his serious and his silly stuff. Hang on - google....

Ah ha!

http://www.spikemilligan.co.uk/

Ning Nang Nong!!!

Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney is a brilliant poem. In it, Heaney is brought home from boarding school for his little brother's funeral because he was knocked down and killed. The last couplet is perhaps my favourite in poetry:

...
No gaudy scar, the bumper knocked him clear.
A four foot box, a foot for every year.

Simple and incredibly meaningful.

I'm not usually a big poetry fan - but that last two lines are v moving !!