Three Easy Steps to Sharing the Ideal Sister Poem
A sister is a wonderful friend, a close family relation and one of the first people that may deserve a poem. Someone who has decided to share with their sister a poem may feel at first rather awkward but can rest assured that they are not nearly the first to do so. Dozens of the world’s best poets have written a sister poem in their lifetime, an ode to the closest person to them in their family. Finding and sharing these sister poems can be done in as little as three steps.
Step #1 – Finding the Right Sister Poem
Writers such as William Wordsworth wrote beautiful poems dedicated to their sisters. His “To My Sister” is probably the most eloquent example of how a poem can be directed toward a loved family member without being overtly sentimental.
Another famous writer of the 19th century, Lord Byron, wrote to his sister as well in “Epistle to Augusta” The poem is a loving tribute to his beloved sister, showing the kind of familial love a poet is willing to express.
MY sister! my sweet sister! if a name
Dearer and purer were, it should be thine;
Mountains and seas divide us, but I claim
No tears, but tenderness to answer mine:
Go where I will, to me thou art the same—
A loved regret which I would not resign.
There yet are two things in my destiny,—
A world to roam through, and a home with thee.
Such words are not uncommon for the time period in which Byron wrote, but the care put into them not only displays his love for Augusta but the ability of a man to make those statements in all honesty.
Of course, not all sister poems are in loving tribute. Lewis Carroll always had a keen eye for how the mind of a child worked, writing great children’s classics such as Alice in Wonderland. His poem, “Brother and Sister” tells the tale of a young boy who tries to borrow a frying pan from the cook so as he can make an “Irish Stew” with his sister. Not all brothers are as willing as Byron to profess their sibling love.
Step #2 – How to Share a Sister Poem
After having found the right poem, it is important to decide when and where to share it with your sister. In some instances, it might be simply inappropriate. A man will feel awkward giving a poem to his sister on a random occasion, so might choose to write it within a card for a birthday or holiday instead of making a big deal out of it. A fellow sister might be more willing to offer an emotional gift at any time and simple read the sister poem.
Step #3 – Discussing the Sister Poem
One of the best parts about sharing poetry with anyone is that the next logical step is to discuss it. This may not be the goal in which case a carefully placed card is probably the best idea. However, for those that do not mind or in fact relish the chance to discuss poetry, hand delivering the poem might be the perfect opportunity to start an interesting conversation with a family member about that sister poem. It may not work out as planned, but it stretches the intellectual connection of two family members, something most gifts can never claim to do.
Wednesday 24 October 2007
Tuesday 16 October 2007
How to Read and Enjoy Sad Poems
How to Read and Enjoy Sad Poems
Love is a universal denominator, one that can bring everyone together or tear them apart. Sadness is equally universal (and with love on the line, inevitable), making it all that much more powerful. Of course, even with the kind of eerie power sadness has over us, why is it that sad poems are so compelling, bringing an awkward sense of joy at the same time as they evoke images of pain and longing?
Why Sad Poems?
Everyone has a different answer and though the scientific community will likely not be agreeing with the poets and writers of those sad poems any time soon, they can come to a consensus on one thing – sad poems are very popular. However, for the budding poetry fan, sad poems happen to be some of the best poems ever written and can surely serve to make for enjoyable reading, if only you take the right approach to them from the start.
Enjoying a Sad Poem
The first step to enjoying a sad poem is to recognize that it is a sad poem. Everyone feels sadness, despair and weakness at some time or another and handles it in their own way. For the poet, it is best expressed in words. Thus, the sad poem is a diary of sorts, relaying the kind of emotions that have plagued a poet for some time.
Sad poems also offer people a chance to connect with each other on a much more personal level and share an emotional closeness. A sad poem is often best read when you are either in a retrospective or down mood of your own. They allow a certain amount of reflection on a topic that has been bothersome of late. That sad poem might offer just the right amount of vicarious relief to forget the unfortunate (yet unforgettable) incident with your spouse’s parents or the explosive and yet somehow dull daily grind of a job going poorly.
The Best Sad Poems Around
The next step is to find a few truly magnificent sad poems to wallow with, and there are none better than those written by Emily Dickinson. Suffering a bit from depression as is the wont of many poets, her sad poems have become famous for their clever wordplay and short, direct expression. “I had been hungry all the years” is a great example of this style:
I had been hungry all the years;
My noon had come, to dine;
I, trembling, drew the table near,
And touched the curious wine.
‘Twas this on table I had seen,
When turning, hungry, lone,
I looked in windows, for the wealth
I could not hope to own.
While Dickinson was largely ignored during her own lifetime, other poets at the same time such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow were living giants, celebrities of their time. Even Longfellow wrote the occasional sad poem though as an expression of his personal anxieties. “The Day is Done” is a famously introspective sad poem, describing his own desire to read poems of sadness – an ironically appropriate topic.
Love is a universal denominator, one that can bring everyone together or tear them apart. Sadness is equally universal (and with love on the line, inevitable), making it all that much more powerful. Of course, even with the kind of eerie power sadness has over us, why is it that sad poems are so compelling, bringing an awkward sense of joy at the same time as they evoke images of pain and longing?
Why Sad Poems?
Everyone has a different answer and though the scientific community will likely not be agreeing with the poets and writers of those sad poems any time soon, they can come to a consensus on one thing – sad poems are very popular. However, for the budding poetry fan, sad poems happen to be some of the best poems ever written and can surely serve to make for enjoyable reading, if only you take the right approach to them from the start.
Enjoying a Sad Poem
The first step to enjoying a sad poem is to recognize that it is a sad poem. Everyone feels sadness, despair and weakness at some time or another and handles it in their own way. For the poet, it is best expressed in words. Thus, the sad poem is a diary of sorts, relaying the kind of emotions that have plagued a poet for some time.
Sad poems also offer people a chance to connect with each other on a much more personal level and share an emotional closeness. A sad poem is often best read when you are either in a retrospective or down mood of your own. They allow a certain amount of reflection on a topic that has been bothersome of late. That sad poem might offer just the right amount of vicarious relief to forget the unfortunate (yet unforgettable) incident with your spouse’s parents or the explosive and yet somehow dull daily grind of a job going poorly.
The Best Sad Poems Around
The next step is to find a few truly magnificent sad poems to wallow with, and there are none better than those written by Emily Dickinson. Suffering a bit from depression as is the wont of many poets, her sad poems have become famous for their clever wordplay and short, direct expression. “I had been hungry all the years” is a great example of this style:
I had been hungry all the years;
My noon had come, to dine;
I, trembling, drew the table near,
And touched the curious wine.
‘Twas this on table I had seen,
When turning, hungry, lone,
I looked in windows, for the wealth
I could not hope to own.
While Dickinson was largely ignored during her own lifetime, other poets at the same time such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow were living giants, celebrities of their time. Even Longfellow wrote the occasional sad poem though as an expression of his personal anxieties. “The Day is Done” is a famously introspective sad poem, describing his own desire to read poems of sadness – an ironically appropriate topic.
How to Write the Perfect Wedding Poem
How to Write the Perfect Wedding Poem
What better time or place to write a poem than for a wedding. The right wedding poem can serve any number of wonderful purposes. It can highlight the reception as a toast to the bride, groom, or their families. It can serve as an added personal touch between the bride and groom when exchanging vows. It can even be a great addition to invitations or announcements for the wedding. Whatever purpose a wedding poem serves, it is sure to be well received. The only hard part is writing one.
Famous Examples of Wedding Poems
There are not nearly as many poems written directly about weddings as some other important events. However, there are plenty of examples available of love poems and friendship poems that capture the essence of a wedding and of the feelings a bride and groom have for each other.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s incredibly famous (and slightly overused) “How Do I Love Thee?” has been used in wedding ceremonies for decades, while the simpler and more elegant verses of Emily Dickinson are a popular addition to wedding vows, especially in “It’s all I have to bring today.”
Starting on Your Own Wedding Poem
The first step to writing any poem is to know your audience. Who is the poem being written for? If it is a future spouse, it should be imbued with as much emotion and personal touch as possible. If it is for the bride and groom from a best man or maid of honor, it should be reverential and keyed to the friendships that exist. If it is for the families or friends attending, it can be nearly anything so long as it mentions friendship and cracks a few jokes in between.
Writing the Poem
The next step though is the most important. Crafting a poem is hard. It takes a lot of time, much more than the few short lines would make it seem. The best way to start is to write down everything you want to say in prose. No matter how much you have to say, write it down in as simple a form as you can. Don’t worry about the flowery verse yet. That comes later.
Next, start selecting the bits and pieces that have the most important position in your wedding poem. Any words you find particularly compelling should be written down as well. Poetry is art with words, don’t underestimate the power of a well placed word.
The poem does not need to rhyme. Nor does it need to be metered or in any kind of form. It just needs to be well thought out. Read it over and over and ensure that every line is important, every word has a place within the meaning of the poem. If the context is wrong or too many syllables jumble up a line, move them around. It will likely take half a dozen times reading and changing your poem before you begin to come close to being happy with it. And you may never be happy with the final wedding poem, but then no poets are.
What better time or place to write a poem than for a wedding. The right wedding poem can serve any number of wonderful purposes. It can highlight the reception as a toast to the bride, groom, or their families. It can serve as an added personal touch between the bride and groom when exchanging vows. It can even be a great addition to invitations or announcements for the wedding. Whatever purpose a wedding poem serves, it is sure to be well received. The only hard part is writing one.
Famous Examples of Wedding Poems
There are not nearly as many poems written directly about weddings as some other important events. However, there are plenty of examples available of love poems and friendship poems that capture the essence of a wedding and of the feelings a bride and groom have for each other.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s incredibly famous (and slightly overused) “How Do I Love Thee?” has been used in wedding ceremonies for decades, while the simpler and more elegant verses of Emily Dickinson are a popular addition to wedding vows, especially in “It’s all I have to bring today.”
Starting on Your Own Wedding Poem
The first step to writing any poem is to know your audience. Who is the poem being written for? If it is a future spouse, it should be imbued with as much emotion and personal touch as possible. If it is for the bride and groom from a best man or maid of honor, it should be reverential and keyed to the friendships that exist. If it is for the families or friends attending, it can be nearly anything so long as it mentions friendship and cracks a few jokes in between.
Writing the Poem
The next step though is the most important. Crafting a poem is hard. It takes a lot of time, much more than the few short lines would make it seem. The best way to start is to write down everything you want to say in prose. No matter how much you have to say, write it down in as simple a form as you can. Don’t worry about the flowery verse yet. That comes later.
Next, start selecting the bits and pieces that have the most important position in your wedding poem. Any words you find particularly compelling should be written down as well. Poetry is art with words, don’t underestimate the power of a well placed word.
The poem does not need to rhyme. Nor does it need to be metered or in any kind of form. It just needs to be well thought out. Read it over and over and ensure that every line is important, every word has a place within the meaning of the poem. If the context is wrong or too many syllables jumble up a line, move them around. It will likely take half a dozen times reading and changing your poem before you begin to come close to being happy with it. And you may never be happy with the final wedding poem, but then no poets are.
Saturday 13 October 2007
How to Find the Perfect Anniversary Poem
How to Find the Perfect Anniversary Poem
Men everywhere have scrambled for centuries on the day or two leading into an anniversary to both remember and find the perfect gift for their spouse. It can be a nerve wracking process, the kind that ends in either a romantic evening for two or a cold stare from across a long dining room table. The right anniversary poem can go a long way in ensuring the second situation never comes to pass.
Why an Anniversary Poem is the Perfect Gift
Poetry has been handed back and forth as a gift for millennia. Before anything was written down even, in ancient times, poetry was a gift given from one person to the next and was greatly appreciated as it displayed thoughtfulness and intellect. An anniversary poem given to a wife shows much the same. Instead of the same box of chocolates or flowers – both of which are thoughtful, but expected – the right anniversary poem will light up her day and ensure the kind of response you always want to see on an anniversary.
The Right Anniversary Poem
The right anniversary poem does not need to be about an anniversary. The right love poem is an ideal gift or a beautiful description of the landscape if it is worded well enough. There are endless options to choose from. To avoid cheesiness, do not choose a poem that she has likely heard numerous times before. Shakespeare’s sonnets are beautiful, but they are well known. Try to find a poem that best suits your particular relationship by mirroring your situation directly. You will know it when you find it.
Places to Start
There are dozens of poets who have written poems specifically for an anniversary. Some of the most famous, to give you an idea of what these famous wordsmiths gave to their wives and husbands include touching declarations of love on anniversaries, the days following a new marriage or just because they wanted to say “I love you.”
Of the Romantic and Victorian poets by whom so many of us know romantic poetry to be written, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Marriage Morning” is a prime example of the kind of anniversary poem a wife would surely love to receive. Describing the interminable nature of love, Tennyson describes his marriage as the culmination of his life’s work.
Emily Bronte’s poem “Love and Friendship”, while never directly speaking of marriage” describes the intertwined nature of love and friendship and how they feed each other, creating a stronger entity. The poem is short and evokes the simple image of a rose-briar and a holly-tree comingling, but speaks volumes of the love she had for her husband and family.
Poetry that describes the love for a wife or a husband is abundant throughout history and for that reason, though it might differ in context and form, the words of a couple that lived 200 or even 500 years ago can accurately describe the feelings a couple today, on their 20th anniversary feel for each other.
Men everywhere have scrambled for centuries on the day or two leading into an anniversary to both remember and find the perfect gift for their spouse. It can be a nerve wracking process, the kind that ends in either a romantic evening for two or a cold stare from across a long dining room table. The right anniversary poem can go a long way in ensuring the second situation never comes to pass.
Why an Anniversary Poem is the Perfect Gift
Poetry has been handed back and forth as a gift for millennia. Before anything was written down even, in ancient times, poetry was a gift given from one person to the next and was greatly appreciated as it displayed thoughtfulness and intellect. An anniversary poem given to a wife shows much the same. Instead of the same box of chocolates or flowers – both of which are thoughtful, but expected – the right anniversary poem will light up her day and ensure the kind of response you always want to see on an anniversary.
The Right Anniversary Poem
The right anniversary poem does not need to be about an anniversary. The right love poem is an ideal gift or a beautiful description of the landscape if it is worded well enough. There are endless options to choose from. To avoid cheesiness, do not choose a poem that she has likely heard numerous times before. Shakespeare’s sonnets are beautiful, but they are well known. Try to find a poem that best suits your particular relationship by mirroring your situation directly. You will know it when you find it.
Places to Start
There are dozens of poets who have written poems specifically for an anniversary. Some of the most famous, to give you an idea of what these famous wordsmiths gave to their wives and husbands include touching declarations of love on anniversaries, the days following a new marriage or just because they wanted to say “I love you.”
Of the Romantic and Victorian poets by whom so many of us know romantic poetry to be written, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Marriage Morning” is a prime example of the kind of anniversary poem a wife would surely love to receive. Describing the interminable nature of love, Tennyson describes his marriage as the culmination of his life’s work.
Emily Bronte’s poem “Love and Friendship”, while never directly speaking of marriage” describes the intertwined nature of love and friendship and how they feed each other, creating a stronger entity. The poem is short and evokes the simple image of a rose-briar and a holly-tree comingling, but speaks volumes of the love she had for her husband and family.
Poetry that describes the love for a wife or a husband is abundant throughout history and for that reason, though it might differ in context and form, the words of a couple that lived 200 or even 500 years ago can accurately describe the feelings a couple today, on their 20th anniversary feel for each other.
What Everyone Should Know About Friendship Poems
What Everyone Should Know About Friendship Poems
Poems have been written about nearly every topic under the sun, and next to love and death, friendship poems are among the most commonly read, written, and shared in the world. Unfortunately, a beautiful poem written in friendship can often result in a misunderstanding when it sounds very much like a love poem.
Regardless of the confusion, some of the world’s greatest poets have penned friendship poems for any number of their closest acquaintances, professional colleagues or distant relatives. When a poet feels close to someone, a natural response is to write a poem.
What Makes A Friendship Poem Special?
This is where confusion can often arise when describing the difference between a friendship poem and a love poem. Love poetry is most often the result of an extreme, powerful emotion, a written expression of the almost intangible sensation of love. On the other hand, friendship poems are more subdued, relying on personal references and expressions of caring. The difference is similar to what kind of gift you would buy for a girlfriend or boyfriend as opposed to a roommate or childhood buddy. One would hope they are not the same gift.
Great Friendship Poems
Great poets in history have made a habit of penning verses for each other in response to any number of personal relationships. It was their way of paying respect to their closest friends. If someone might buy a gift for a friend today, Shakespeare would have written that person a sonnet. Which is something Shakespeare did do on occasion. Sonnet 104, for example, speaks to a close friend with whom he treasures the three summers they spent together. The poem reads similar to many of his love sonnets, and in fact has been debated for some time as many believe it is in fact a love poem.
Friendship Poems as Metaphor
Other poets used friendship as a metaphor, comparing the closeness of a friend to any number of other experiences. For example, in Emily Dickinson’s “The Soul Unto Itself” she wrote:
The Soul unto itself
Is an imperial friend –
Or the most agonizing Spy –
An Enemy – could send –
Secure against its own –
No treason it can fear –
Itself – its Sovereign – of itself
The Soul should stand in Awe –
She is not writing about a close friend, but her own soul and the numerous masks it takes on. However, the same could be said about a close friend who is never quite as disarmed as we would like to believe.
Defining Friendship With a Poem
But then there are those poets who wrote friendship poems solely ruminating on the nature of friendship. Ralph Waldo Emerson can be attributed for dozens of memorable quotes about what it means to be a friend and wrote numerous friendship poems in turn. One of his most famous was the short but poignant “Glory of Friendship” which states:
The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand,
nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship;
it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when
he discovers that someone else believes in him and is
willing to trust him.
He went on to write many other poems, such as the simply titled “Friendship” and the numerous letters he wrote to Thomas Carlyle, detailing his deep thoughts on the subject and the source for many of his works.
Friendship Poems Today
Poetry today does not ruminate nearly as much on friendship as it does on love, and the closeness of any two friends is admittedly not as defined as it once was. However, if you have ever felt the urge or desire to tell your friend what their friendship means to you, you have an inkling of what the great poets such as Emerson experienced when they sat down to pen their poems, and what better way to understand friendship poems than that.
Poems have been written about nearly every topic under the sun, and next to love and death, friendship poems are among the most commonly read, written, and shared in the world. Unfortunately, a beautiful poem written in friendship can often result in a misunderstanding when it sounds very much like a love poem.
Regardless of the confusion, some of the world’s greatest poets have penned friendship poems for any number of their closest acquaintances, professional colleagues or distant relatives. When a poet feels close to someone, a natural response is to write a poem.
What Makes A Friendship Poem Special?
This is where confusion can often arise when describing the difference between a friendship poem and a love poem. Love poetry is most often the result of an extreme, powerful emotion, a written expression of the almost intangible sensation of love. On the other hand, friendship poems are more subdued, relying on personal references and expressions of caring. The difference is similar to what kind of gift you would buy for a girlfriend or boyfriend as opposed to a roommate or childhood buddy. One would hope they are not the same gift.
Great Friendship Poems
Great poets in history have made a habit of penning verses for each other in response to any number of personal relationships. It was their way of paying respect to their closest friends. If someone might buy a gift for a friend today, Shakespeare would have written that person a sonnet. Which is something Shakespeare did do on occasion. Sonnet 104, for example, speaks to a close friend with whom he treasures the three summers they spent together. The poem reads similar to many of his love sonnets, and in fact has been debated for some time as many believe it is in fact a love poem.
Friendship Poems as Metaphor
Other poets used friendship as a metaphor, comparing the closeness of a friend to any number of other experiences. For example, in Emily Dickinson’s “The Soul Unto Itself” she wrote:
The Soul unto itself
Is an imperial friend –
Or the most agonizing Spy –
An Enemy – could send –
Secure against its own –
No treason it can fear –
Itself – its Sovereign – of itself
The Soul should stand in Awe –
She is not writing about a close friend, but her own soul and the numerous masks it takes on. However, the same could be said about a close friend who is never quite as disarmed as we would like to believe.
Defining Friendship With a Poem
But then there are those poets who wrote friendship poems solely ruminating on the nature of friendship. Ralph Waldo Emerson can be attributed for dozens of memorable quotes about what it means to be a friend and wrote numerous friendship poems in turn. One of his most famous was the short but poignant “Glory of Friendship” which states:
The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand,
nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship;
it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when
he discovers that someone else believes in him and is
willing to trust him.
He went on to write many other poems, such as the simply titled “Friendship” and the numerous letters he wrote to Thomas Carlyle, detailing his deep thoughts on the subject and the source for many of his works.
Friendship Poems Today
Poetry today does not ruminate nearly as much on friendship as it does on love, and the closeness of any two friends is admittedly not as defined as it once was. However, if you have ever felt the urge or desire to tell your friend what their friendship means to you, you have an inkling of what the great poets such as Emerson experienced when they sat down to pen their poems, and what better way to understand friendship poems than that.
Thursday 11 October 2007
Five Easy Steps to Reading a Famous Poem
Five Easy Steps to Reading a Famous Poem
Famous poems are everywhere. They appear in places no one could expect – slogans on television, common sayings and phrases, and the titles of just about every artistic film or endeavor at the local video store. Because famous poems are so transcendent, we rarely if ever notice they are there and even less often realize who wrote them. Why not ensure the proper steps are taken when reading a famous poem then to better appreciate the author, the poem, and the time spent reading it.
Step #1 – Selecting a Famous Poem
Easy as pie, right? It might immediately seem so but finding and selecting a specific famous poem or poet to study can be a bit time consuming. Do you really want to read something that does not interest you? You wouldn’t simply buy a book off of a shelf because the woman at the desk told you it was famous. You would want to know what the book is about. The same is true for poetry.
Most of the famous poems in history are available for free online and can be searched for by topic. If you are interested in a war story, Homer’s Iliad has been enthralling readers for millennia while Shakespeare’s sonnets are beautiful love poems. There are numerous resources for finding that ideal poem.
Step #2 – Who Wrote the Famous Poem
Who is the author of your famous poem? The list of potential names is nearly endless. Here are a few of the biggest and brightest stars of the poetry universe to get you started:
Homer
William Shakespeare
Edgar Allen Poe
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Percy Bysshe Shelley
John Keats
William Wordsworth
The list goes on seemingly forever if you let it. The best way to find an incredible, famous poet is to visit the local bookstore or library and ask for recommendations.
Step #3 – Reading the Poem
Read it carefully and slowly. Simply skimming through a famous poem doesn’t do it justice and will only leave you wondering, why is this so famous? You could read a magazine if you simply wanted text to skim over quickly. Poetry is meant to be absorbed and to absorb it you must read it slowly and methodically.
Step #4 – Contextualizing Famous Poems
When was the famous poem written? What was happening in the world? What major events were coloring the life of its author? These are the questions you should ask when reading a famous poem. Every poem has a story behind it and knowing that story can make the entire experience that much more engaging.
Step #5 – Finding More Poetry
Once you find a famous poem that you enjoy, that strikes the perfect cord, you will want to find more of the same. Luckily, many of the poets listed above have enormous bodies of work. Most local bookstores feature large anthologies of work from most of them as well as combined anthologies with famous poems organized by subject or publication date. If you want to find more poetry, there are dozens of resources to do so.
Famous poems are everywhere. They appear in places no one could expect – slogans on television, common sayings and phrases, and the titles of just about every artistic film or endeavor at the local video store. Because famous poems are so transcendent, we rarely if ever notice they are there and even less often realize who wrote them. Why not ensure the proper steps are taken when reading a famous poem then to better appreciate the author, the poem, and the time spent reading it.
Step #1 – Selecting a Famous Poem
Easy as pie, right? It might immediately seem so but finding and selecting a specific famous poem or poet to study can be a bit time consuming. Do you really want to read something that does not interest you? You wouldn’t simply buy a book off of a shelf because the woman at the desk told you it was famous. You would want to know what the book is about. The same is true for poetry.
Most of the famous poems in history are available for free online and can be searched for by topic. If you are interested in a war story, Homer’s Iliad has been enthralling readers for millennia while Shakespeare’s sonnets are beautiful love poems. There are numerous resources for finding that ideal poem.
Step #2 – Who Wrote the Famous Poem
Who is the author of your famous poem? The list of potential names is nearly endless. Here are a few of the biggest and brightest stars of the poetry universe to get you started:
Homer
William Shakespeare
Edgar Allen Poe
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Percy Bysshe Shelley
John Keats
William Wordsworth
The list goes on seemingly forever if you let it. The best way to find an incredible, famous poet is to visit the local bookstore or library and ask for recommendations.
Step #3 – Reading the Poem
Read it carefully and slowly. Simply skimming through a famous poem doesn’t do it justice and will only leave you wondering, why is this so famous? You could read a magazine if you simply wanted text to skim over quickly. Poetry is meant to be absorbed and to absorb it you must read it slowly and methodically.
Step #4 – Contextualizing Famous Poems
When was the famous poem written? What was happening in the world? What major events were coloring the life of its author? These are the questions you should ask when reading a famous poem. Every poem has a story behind it and knowing that story can make the entire experience that much more engaging.
Step #5 – Finding More Poetry
Once you find a famous poem that you enjoy, that strikes the perfect cord, you will want to find more of the same. Luckily, many of the poets listed above have enormous bodies of work. Most local bookstores feature large anthologies of work from most of them as well as combined anthologies with famous poems organized by subject or publication date. If you want to find more poetry, there are dozens of resources to do so.
Five Easy Steps to Finding the Right Birthday Poem
Five Easy Steps to Finding the Right Birthday Poem
So, it’s a friend or family member’s birthday and let’s face it, those corny punch lines already printed on birthday cards just are not going to cut it this year. A solid birthday poem can really push a card over the top, but only if you can find the right words to express what you’re hoping to say. No one wants their birthday poem to be too overt. Of course, no one wants to give their friend a dirty limerick for their birthday poem either.
Step #1 – Find the Right Tone
Birthday poems range in all sizes and shapes, just like people. So, it stands to reason that there should be a perfectly suited poem available for nearly anyone you know. Step one then is to find the right tone for your birthday tone. Is it for your mother, your wife, your husband, your son or daughter, or maybe just a good friend or co-worker. Now, what kind of a poem would that person appreciate?
Step #2 – Humor Goes a Long Way
Even for a spouse or family member, a funny birthday poem can be a light and distracting way to enjoy the annual reminder of how old they are. Jonathan Swift, the author Gulliver’s Travels and one of the English language’s first satirists wrote “Stella’s Birthday” for a woman with whom he frequently corresponded. With the light touch of humor that he imbued into everything he wrote, he reminded her of exactly how old she was:
Stella this day is thirty-four,
(We shan't dispute a year or more:)
However, Stella, be not troubled,
Although thy size and years are doubled,
Since first I saw thee at sixteen,
The brightest virgin on the green;
So little is thy form declin'd;
Made up so largely in thy mind.
Step #3 – Being Wary
Of course, some instances of humor are best left untouched. If someone is particularly touchy about their age, finding a poem that outlines the exact age and then makes comment on the advanced decrepit state of that age is not the best idea. Be considerate even as you seek a light and humorous way to celebrate that most important of days.
Step #4 – For that Special Someone
Birthday poems for a spouse or for a loved one can be a chance to really shine and show how much you love them. They can also be a chance to earn a few extra points with just the right lyrics. Christina Rosetti, a 19th century poet who spent a great deal of her life in and out of depressive states, wrote many beautiful lyrics, including “A Birthday”, a poem dedicated not just to a single birthday, but to the sensation and joy of a birthday as a metaphor for being in love:
Raise me a daïs of silk and down;
Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
Is come, my love is come to me.
Step #5 – Delivering the Birthday Poem
After choosing the right words, reading them over and over again and knowing that they fit the birthday boy or girl perfectly, it is time to decide how that birthday poem should be given to them. Humorous poems are best delivered in a card. They can be read over and over, shared with friends and hung upon the refrigerator for future laughs. Loving and personal poems are often better delivered in person, adding that intimate touch that can push a birthday poem over the top. However you decide to deliver it though, poetry on a loved one’s birthday is a wonderful gift.
So, it’s a friend or family member’s birthday and let’s face it, those corny punch lines already printed on birthday cards just are not going to cut it this year. A solid birthday poem can really push a card over the top, but only if you can find the right words to express what you’re hoping to say. No one wants their birthday poem to be too overt. Of course, no one wants to give their friend a dirty limerick for their birthday poem either.
Step #1 – Find the Right Tone
Birthday poems range in all sizes and shapes, just like people. So, it stands to reason that there should be a perfectly suited poem available for nearly anyone you know. Step one then is to find the right tone for your birthday tone. Is it for your mother, your wife, your husband, your son or daughter, or maybe just a good friend or co-worker. Now, what kind of a poem would that person appreciate?
Step #2 – Humor Goes a Long Way
Even for a spouse or family member, a funny birthday poem can be a light and distracting way to enjoy the annual reminder of how old they are. Jonathan Swift, the author Gulliver’s Travels and one of the English language’s first satirists wrote “Stella’s Birthday” for a woman with whom he frequently corresponded. With the light touch of humor that he imbued into everything he wrote, he reminded her of exactly how old she was:
Stella this day is thirty-four,
(We shan't dispute a year or more:)
However, Stella, be not troubled,
Although thy size and years are doubled,
Since first I saw thee at sixteen,
The brightest virgin on the green;
So little is thy form declin'd;
Made up so largely in thy mind.
Step #3 – Being Wary
Of course, some instances of humor are best left untouched. If someone is particularly touchy about their age, finding a poem that outlines the exact age and then makes comment on the advanced decrepit state of that age is not the best idea. Be considerate even as you seek a light and humorous way to celebrate that most important of days.
Step #4 – For that Special Someone
Birthday poems for a spouse or for a loved one can be a chance to really shine and show how much you love them. They can also be a chance to earn a few extra points with just the right lyrics. Christina Rosetti, a 19th century poet who spent a great deal of her life in and out of depressive states, wrote many beautiful lyrics, including “A Birthday”, a poem dedicated not just to a single birthday, but to the sensation and joy of a birthday as a metaphor for being in love:
Raise me a daïs of silk and down;
Hang it with vair and purple dyes;
Carve it in doves and pomegranates,
And peacocks with a hundred eyes;
Work it in gold and silver grapes,
In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;
Because the birthday of my life
Is come, my love is come to me.
Step #5 – Delivering the Birthday Poem
After choosing the right words, reading them over and over again and knowing that they fit the birthday boy or girl perfectly, it is time to decide how that birthday poem should be given to them. Humorous poems are best delivered in a card. They can be read over and over, shared with friends and hung upon the refrigerator for future laughs. Loving and personal poems are often better delivered in person, adding that intimate touch that can push a birthday poem over the top. However you decide to deliver it though, poetry on a loved one’s birthday is a wonderful gift.
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