Poetry What?
January 5th, 2007 by jules
{One more update: Round-up is here. Thanks, Elaine!} . . .
{Update: I don’t know who’s doing the ‘ol round-up today, but it doesn’t matter. I do, however, want to direct readers to Chicken Spaghetti’s Poetry Friday entry, which is here. She links to “No Nightmares, Please: Why is so much children’s poetry filled with sadism and doom?,” written by Jeff Gordinier at the Poetry Foundation’s site. It’s ever-so funny. Enjoy! And thanks for the link, Susan} . . .
I’ll be honest. Poetry Friday just snuck up on me and slapped me upside the head. The fact that it’s Friday just surprised me. What can I say? I’m still in holiday mode, and every day feels like Saturday.
So even though I admittedly scrounged for this, I still bring it to you with admiration. I read this recently in the introduction to either Liz Rosenberg’s edited anthology of Earth-Shattering Poems (1998) or 2000’s Light-Gathering Poems (both published by Henry Holt). I really should be able to tell you which one, but I didn’t make note. Nevertheless, it stuck with me:
If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?
And those, my friends, are the words of Emily Dickinson. Happy Poetry Friday. As for me, I’m off to get coffee and try to settle into the day (which I now accept is Friday).
Good save, Jules, thanks! And that’s a really excellent quote, too.
Can I just mention that I’ll be officially done with my MLS degree in approximately 24 hours and 42 minutes?
Jules,
You’re in the Poetry Friday roundup at Blue Rose Girls.
jules!
totally unrelated, but i responded to your comment over at my place. thanks for dropping by and happy new year.
Yay, Emily.
Nice quote jules!
And YAY eisha!