Meet one of my favorite poets: Anne Bradstreet. Who is yours?

[Bertha Venation]

She was born in England in 1612, came to Massachusetts in 1630, and died there in 1672. Both her father and her husband were governors of the commonwealth. Bradstreet is considered the first "important" female author of the new world. Her story of life in North America is the same as her contemporaries': bitterly hard motherhood, strange illnesses, life with "savages," etc. Picture a woman enduring intense hardship in a strange world, and imagine the poetry such a life would spark.

My favorite poem of hers shows her unabashed reliance upon God (of the bible); it was my refuge when I relied upon God like Anne Bradstreet did and was struggling against suicide.

by night while others soundly slept
and had at once both ease and rest
my waking eyes were open kept
and so to lie I thought it best

I sought him whom my soul did love
with tears I sought him earnestly
he bow'd his ear down from above
in vain I did not seek or cry

my hungry soul he filled with good
he in his bottle put my tears
my smarting wounds washed in his blood
and banished thence my doubts and fears

what to my savior shall I give
who freely hath done this for me?
I'll serve him here while I shall live
and love him to eternity

Who is your favorite poet? Please post your favorite poem.

[jpgray]

1. Wallace Stevens for lyrical stuff, and Shakespeare for drama (nt)

[bpcmxr]

2. e. e. cummings n/t

[pscot]

4. Buffalo Bill's defunct

who used to ride a water smooth silver stallion
and break clay pigeons pow pow pow
what i want to know is
how do you like your blue eyed boy
mr death

[Literate Tar Heel]

3. poets

james tate, john ashbery, frank o'hara

[pbg]

5. So many...

...but I'll mention John Berryman's book-length Homage to Mistress Bradstreet.

[Lucky Luciano]

6. Perhaps it is the mathemetician in me,

but I never understood poetry - it sails right over my head at light speed as if the words never happened.

[pscot]

7. Right now I'm reading Rummi

for the great gift of hope his mysticism offers; Also Pablo Neruda, for his passion and despair

[FascistAdder]

8. Personally...

I fall in with Whitman although I have never been much of a poetry fan.
Interestingly enough, I just read Anne Bradstreet's contemplations. She was a precursor to what is called the great awakening in the U.S. That period basically comprised the harsh philosophy of the puritans and their funny but hypocritical ideas about "the elect" recombined with a new emotionalism/sensation based philosophy. It was basically the same philosophy rehashed in a response to democracy that had a "softer side of sears" whitewash. It is interesting I have been reading up on my bible lately and I find ample evidence of the hypocrisy these religious groups bear. For example...

Mathew <6> "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your father
in heaven."

Mathew <6.2> "Therefore, when you do a charitble deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."

Isaiah <55.8-9> "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, saith the lord. For as the Heavens are higher than earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

There is ample evidence besides these quotation that these religious folk we have in America have been readily ignoring their bible in favor of the collection plate. Just thought the rest of you DUers out their might contemplate this in your approach. It seems they can only comprehend one language and that is the language of their own bible when it fights against the things they say. Then again there is also the idea of those christian souls who would favor the death penalty while at the same time fighting abortion. They seem to lack the appropriate balance when considering the many sins that exist and that are part and parcel of being human. I would say that Anne Bradstreet might have counted herself amongst these in her lifetime.

Just a thought

[Bertha Venation]

11. just a thought

that I can't follow.

Maybe I'm just hung up in trying to find the contradiction between Matt. 6:1, Matt. 6:2, and Isa. 55:8, 9.

[FascistAdder]

12. I didn't suggest there is..

a contradiction between these verses. They are mostly just individual examples that Bush and his fundees seem to forget about, The book of Mathew goes into great detail about recognizing the difference between hypocrites and people who are truly with God. It also goes into a great deal about how you should work to support the poorest and most destitute amongst us and issues concerning the wealthy's closeness to god. Mostly, I was pointing these things out, but I was also pointing out that the language of the bible is about the only language that will communicate anything to the ultra right wingers out there. As it happens I have also made the point, not necessarily with these specific quotes that some of the earliest religious foundational groups founded in America were themselves tending towards Hypocrisy. They fail to take the message of the bible in its entirety and use it towards maintaining a balance in their lives. Instead they favor the things that will lead to increased Church membership, Rah Rah cheerleading for God, etc. Eventually this habit leads to violence. Usually this violence is what ends up resetting the social structure for a time because it demands a response and education efforts.

[Th1onein]

9. Edna St. Vincent-Millay

Dirge Without Music

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

10. Stephane Mallarme (1842 - 1898)

Brise Marine

La chair est triste, helas! et j'ai lu tous les livres.
Fuir! la -bas fuir! Je sens que des oiseaux sont ivres
D'etre parmi l'ecume inconnue et les cieux !
Rien, ni les vieux jardins refletes par les yeux
Ne retiendra ce coeur qui dans la mer se trempe
Ah nuits! ni la clarte deserte de ma lampe
Sur le vide papier que la blancheur defend
Et ni la jeune femme allaitant son enfant.
Je partirai ! Steamer balancant ta mature,
Leve l'ancre pour une exotique nature!

Un Ennui, desole par les cruels espoirs,
Croit encore a l'adieu supreme des mouchoirs !
Et, peut-etre, les mats, invitant les orages
Sont-ils de ceux qu'un vent penche sur les naufrages
Perdus, sans mats, sans mats, ni fertiles ilots ...
Mais, O mon coeur, entends le chant des matelots !

Stephane Mallarme


Sea Breeze

The flesh is bored, alas! and I've read all the books.
To flee! To run away yonder! I sense there are birds that are drunk
From living in unknown foam and skies!
Nothing--not even the ancient gardens reflected in your eyes
Will hold this heart that drenches in the sea
Ah, nights! Neither the desolate brilliance of the lamp by which I see
The empty paper whose whiteness defends it,
Nor the young wife with her child suckling.
I would leave! A Steamer hoisting sail,
Weighs anchor for an exotic clime.

A boredom - distressed from cruel hopes
Still believes in the supreme goodbye of waving handkerchiefs!
And perhaps the masts will summon storms
That blast the sails and wreck the oars
Lost, without sails, without sails, or fertile iles...
But oh, my heart, listen to the sailors' song.