A forum search for "poems" in the title, revealed a list of threads, but that is mostly for poems forum readers have made themselves. A search for "Poetry" gives this list including some that deal with works of poetry, but perhaps we could have a general thread with more sharings of the kind of poems we like to read. In terms of forum category, a single poem can be a book. Often it isn't, but it is still a text that can be read.
What I find interesting about poems that have rhythm and rhymes is that they are texts that are halfway to music. Another observation is that in some poems, there seems to be meaning by added or indicated silence. This is different from a prose text, where more meaning is often added by using more words, or by rephrasing or elaborating what has been written. Perhaps it is not so much the silence that adds meaning, as it is the time it gives to reflect and create associations.
The Wiki about poetry has:
While poems are often short, there are also long poems, many of them very old. Here are some links from the Wiki:
Below are a couple of poems, I recently encountered in a discussion relating to the human condition. I highlighted the lines for which the poems might be more known. It was the search for the origin that led to the context in which they originally appeared.
The first is quoted from a site called Poem Analysis, which presents poems along with comments on the structure and meaning.
The next, Auguries of Innocence by William Blake is from Poets.org. The format of the site allows copy-past more easily, except that the "&" is written as "&" so I corrected that. As you will see, this poem is much longer and more complex and difficult than the previous. It can help a lot to read an analysis, like this from Poem Analysis. At the same time, there can be a challenge trying to understand the lines oneself before looking up what others think.
What I find interesting about poems that have rhythm and rhymes is that they are texts that are halfway to music. Another observation is that in some poems, there seems to be meaning by added or indicated silence. This is different from a prose text, where more meaning is often added by using more words, or by rephrasing or elaborating what has been written. Perhaps it is not so much the silence that adds meaning, as it is the time it gives to reflect and create associations.
The Wiki about poetry has:
To distinguish, there is this about lyrics:
Few read lyrics, they listen to the song, and for sharing that there is the What are you listening to? thread. Still, if there are lyrics you enjoy for their own sake, not for the melody, or the singer, then they could fit the topic of this thread.
While poems are often short, there are also long poems, many of them very old. Here are some links from the Wiki:
- List of epic poems
- List of world folk-epics
- List of poems in Chinese or by Chinese poets
- List of long poems in English
- List of nursery rhymes
Below are a couple of poems, I recently encountered in a discussion relating to the human condition. I highlighted the lines for which the poems might be more known. It was the search for the origin that led to the context in which they originally appeared.
The first is quoted from a site called Poem Analysis, which presents poems along with comments on the structure and meaning.
William H. Davies lived 1871-1940, and during his lifetime the means of transportation picked up speed, cars were introduced and became common, ships became motorized rather than powered by steam or wind, planes were invented and made transatlantic travel a matter of hours.
The next, Auguries of Innocence by William Blake is from Poets.org. The format of the site allows copy-past more easily, except that the "&" is written as "&" so I corrected that. As you will see, this poem is much longer and more complex and difficult than the previous. It can help a lot to read an analysis, like this from Poem Analysis. At the same time, there can be a challenge trying to understand the lines oneself before looking up what others think.
On YouTube, one can find readings of the above poems. Some are set to moving or still images, with the text appearing on the screen, in others there is added background music. It can also be an exercise to try to read a poem aloud oneself. To do it well can require practice. There is more to reading a poem than the correct pronunciation of the words.
