What's your favorite poem? If you hate poetry, do tell why - I write on poetry, and am curious to know what I can do to reach out to more.
Alright. I'm done. Your turn.
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M$2 Answers
What really makes me love this poem is the matter-of-fact manner in which the psychopath relates the details of his encounter with his lover, the final challenge to God and then nothing. We read of no punishment for his deed, no hint if this behaviour will continue.....and considering the time the poem was written, its amazing how similar the behaviour is today.....
goosebumps for sure, even just thinking about it
must quote one small bit.....
"Perfectly pure and good: I found
A thing to do, and all her hair
In one long yellow string I wound
Three times her little throat around,
And strangled her. No pain felt she;
I am quite sure she felt no pain."
I really like Robert Browning poems - My Last Duchess is another like this one, amazingly evil in such sweet language.....
The reason I hear most of my students complain about poetry is because they don't always understand the imagery, so they don't get the point. When I explain the imagery they often feel closer to the poem and understand it better. I also teach poetry by using songs. They are just poems put to music after all :) they can often relate to the song and then understand technique or theme from that.....
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M$I give you now Professor Twist
A conscientious scientist
Trustees exclaim he never bungles
And sent him off to distant jungles
Camped on a riverside
One day he missed his loving bride
A guide had informed him later
She had been eaten by an alligator
Professor Twist could not but smile
You mean, he said, a crocodile
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M$
I really messed it up.
The lines "a guide had informed him later She had been eaten by an alligator" should read more like "She had, a guide informed him later....been eaten by an alligator"
Thank you so much! I've read some Ogden Nash before, but hadn't seen this!
The line "camped on a riverside" should read "camped on a tropic riverside"
I would consider Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams to be a good song to study as poetry - I actually use it for a module on Belonging for the NSW HSC ( around 17-18 year old students )but it is suitable for younger students who like music but say they hate poetry.....it has excellent imagery, good metaphors and it isn't very long...lyrics at link below
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/greenday/boulevardofbrokendreams.html
oh, the song does have one swear word but it can be 'changed' for younger students...missed that before....
PS - your blog is really good!
Thanks so much for the answer! I'm not big on Robert Browning - the goosebumps are a bit too effective. "My Last Duchess" was pretty spooky, you're right.
Alright, I can definitely try more with songs. I have pointed out song lyrics that are more or less as good as poetry on the blog.