Clearly an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Talk Like a Pirate Day, Chicago mayor proclaimed that everyone should talk like Shakespeare on April 23rd (today) to celebrate Shakespeare’s 445th birthday. I have never been a fan of the bard solely because I found him confusing to read. All that iambic pentameter is enough to drive a person mad (correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t that happen in a couple of his plays?).

Anyway, celebrate today by Blogging like Shakespeare or Twittering like Shakespeare. Oddly, there is no way to Steal Someone Else’s Work, possibly like Shakespeare.

Edgar Wright (director of the films Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead) is currently working on the movie adaption of the Scott Pilgrim comic books. The books are awesome and I hope the Michael Cera doesn’t ruin the film.

While browsing the book section at one of my local thrift stores, I am across a book entitled Today is Here by Don Blanding, the poet laureate of Hawaii. The cover depicts rays of sunlight bursting through the clouds. It seemed motivational and uplift. Plus, the book was really old. It was published in 1946. When I opened the book I discovered that it was poetry. Ever since then, Don Blanding has become a poet that I have had a soft spot for. So, to finish off my week long celebration of National Poetry Month I would like to share two of my favorite poems from Blanding.

Today Is Here
by Don Blanding
Today is here. That dawn clangs golden gongs
Awakening the world. Today is here!
The throats of birds are spilling joyous songs.
Sing, Heart. Sing words of hope. Sing strong and clear.

Did men of Yesterday die all in vain?
They bought Today with blood. That price was dear.
We dare not waste their sacrifice of pain.
They plead, “Awake and live. Today is here!”

Plea Of The Book
by Don Blanding
I’m alive when I’m being read.
When I’m on the shelf I’m the same as dead.
Since I love living as well as you,
Please, pass me along when you’ve read me through.

Blurb for the back cover:
“The shear amount of poetry contained in this book is daunting and you can’t help but love some poems but hate other”

What would my week long celebration of National Poetry Month be without a review of some poetry?

Tin House was nice enough to send me a review copy of their poetry anthology Satellite Convulsions a few months ago, and in my spare time I have been slowly reading it. Poetry for me is a hard thing to just sit down and read. I find it easier to enjoy in short little burst like when eating breakfast before work or waiting for a class to start. Unlike a novel, if I sit for a long period of time trying to read poem after poem, my brain will shut off and I will be reading the words but not processing them. I’ll zone out, if you will.

Satellite Convulsions is a collection of over one hundred different poets (106 total) and spans 235 pages. That’s right folks, 235 pages of pure, unadulterated poetry. It would be impossible to me to personally share my thoughts on every single poem. Ok, not impossible, but I don’t have that much spare time on my hands. Since I believe poetry is subjective, naturally my enjoyment of the poems contained in this book ranged from really enjoying it to couldn’t wait for the poem to be over. Because of this, the book works. The shear amount of poetry contained in this book is daunting and you can’t help but love some poems but hate other. I would recommend this book for the poetry enthusiast or someone who is wanting to expand their poetry horizon and discover new poets.

20 in 2009 Challenge: 5/20

I am not a fan of William Carlos Williams. He is the bane of my poetry existence. When I was in high school I wrote a paper arguing that he was a bad poet (I got a B on that paper). There are other people who think he is a rather talented chap. That is not me. So for now, I would like to take this moment during National Poetry month to share with you two poems that I loath.

The Red Wheelbarrow
by William Carlos Williams
so much depends
upon

beside the white
chickens.

This Is Just To Say
by William Carlos Williams
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

What poets do you loath?

Edit: Also, what an inconsiderate jerk Williams was for each that poor guy’s plums!

Do you know how hard it is to find decent Youtube clips about poetry?! It’s hard! Anyway, here is a helpful guide to writing poetry.

It’s national poetry month and nobody told me. A couple of the blogs I read mentioned it here and there, but nobody said it loud enough to make it stick. Anyway, happy national poetry month!

I have a hard time talking about poetry in general because the subject matter is so subjective. When I took a poetry class in college I was surrounded by people who had been writing poetry for years. I, however, I had written only one poem in my entire 21 years leading up to that point. When we criticized poems they would see the puddle in the poem as being symbolic of confinement or mother nature or even God. When I talked about the puddle, I literally thought it was a puddle. It made sense in my mind. Mayhaps I am incapable of understanding the metaphors and whatnot that make up poetry.

One thing that bugs me about poetry is that I tend to read more bad poems than I do good ones. My theory in regards to bad poetry is that people often mistake it for good poetry because they do not understand it. Poetry is considered one of those “high class” art styles right? If we don’t understand it then it must be good. Seems like flawed logic to me. There are many bad poems out there. As soon as we come to terms with that the sooner we can learn from our mistakes.

Another thing I don’t understand about poetry is what is the point of having poems translated from one language to another? Say a poem was written in Spanish and translated to English. Is it the same poem? No, I do not think so. It is an entirely new poem inspired by the original.

That’s just my thoughts at least.

Poetry anyone?

I don’t keep up with the weekly blogs like Booking Through Thursday and Weekly Geeks. Currently my apartment is not hooked up to the internet so my availability online is hit-or-miss, thusly, I can not commit to a weekly theme post.

However, I am bored right now.

Booking Through Thursday

1. Are you currently reading more than one book?
Yes.

2. If so, how many books are you currently reading?
Five. The Portrait of Dorian Grey, City of Ember, The Umbrella Academy, The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten, Dark Tower: Long Road Home.

3. Is this normal for you?
Sadly, yes. I tend to try and limit myself to no more than three books at a time.

4. Where do you keep your current reads?
My backpack (The Umbrella Academy), the bathroom (The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten), the kitchen table (Dark Tower: Long Road Home), the bf’s place (City of Ember), and bedside table (The Portrait of Dorian Grey)