Literary Poetry Nominations • January 2014

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

I wish I had known that. I would have put Tranströmer up again. Great stuff that.

I see I shall have to add Tranströmer to my poetry pile from the library. In your Nobel quest, have you read Montale yet?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I'll withdraw my nomination in that case and will let you all carry on. Sorry I got over-excited there for a moment....you know how those poets are.

Enjoy!

Now why'd you go and do that? I was just about to post that I liked the poem!

Seriously, the nominations are one of my favorite parts of the process (well, I like it all ). I always find something(s) intriguing that I hadn't known. I figure selection is a crapshoot, but the list is a great resource.

(Skulks away. *grumble, grumble*)

[kennyc]

I love his work, but I would not consider it fitting as 'literary' poetry nor mine, we're both more contemporary poets. It's all good.

No Grumbling....

I'd definitely recommend Billy Collins' Aimless Love though it has a ton on excellent new poems as well as selections from his last few books! 4/5 stars per my review of it.

[Bookpossum]

Ooh, I have used up all my votes, or I would certainly support the Ted Hughes book.

[fantasyfan]

I nominate the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Nearly unknown when he was alive, Hopkins is now regarded as one of the three great poets of the Victorian Era--along with Robert Browning and Tennyson. His innovative use of rhythm, imagery, structure and syntax make his poetry sound far more modern than any of his contemporaries.

Most of his poems have a religious theme but again they are anything but conventional. The "Terrible Sonnets", for instance are among the finest poetic expressions of the thin ice of belief over the pit of despair.

His poetry is available in the first edition by his friend Robert Bridges for free and there are many ebook editions--such as that by Delphi--which give good value for money.

[issybird]

I'd love to see Hopkins nominated, but as with 'possum, I'm out of votes.

[fantasyfan]

Originally Posted by paola

Well, first of all I am biased: especially the Inferno is something that is drilled into each school kid, so even if the words are difficult to understand, it is very musical, so hard to render I guess (it does rhyme). I have had a look around, and for the moment the one that seems closer "music wise" is Dorothy Sayer's translation (I've found it in Penguin).

.

I love the Sayers translation!

[Billi]

Okay, I bite and nominate the contemporary poet:
Billy Collins: Aimless Love

And I support:
Gerard Manley Hopkins

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Billi

Okay, I bite and nominate the contemporary poet:
Billy Collins: Aimless Love

Hey!

I guess I have to second it in that case

[paola]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

As we've deduced that the waiting period is waived in the literary club, I would like to put forth:

Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes again.

I read it in 2012 and would like a re-read as well as some discussion.

oh no, I would have loved that, but i've run out of nominations, too!

Originally Posted by Billi

Okay, I bite and nominate the contemporary poet:
Billy Collins: Aimless Love

And I support:
Gerard Manley Hopkins

then have a think about Larkin (Hint Hint), that is as modern as it gets. (just thinking of This be the verse...)

Originally Posted by issybird

I see I shall have to add Tranströmer to my poetry pile from the library. In your Nobel quest, have you read Montale yet?

No I've not read any Montale, though I will eventually get to him I am sure. I've been approaching it starting from the earliest date and with that I've only just started on the 1910-1920 range. It's better than that as when others have come up here I've read out of order. For example I've recently read The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing, Cairo Modern by Naguib Mahfouz and Away from Her by Alice Munro. I have been only counting books read since I started using Goodreads, and that has left gaps of authors that I have read in the 55+ years prior to that. I would go back and add those if I knew how to put in dates that would not imply that I had just read the book.

I really like Tranströmer though others may differ as his poems tend to be short with a very modern sensibility. Though enough people must appreciate him to have won him the prize. Here are a few examples:

http://tomastranstromer.net/poetry/poetry-3/

and this is one of my favorites though I first read it in a slightly different translation I like better:

http://behindthelinespoetry.blogspot...m-african.html

Just realized that I still have one more vote. Cast that for Gerard Manley Hopkins.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

Just realized that I still have one more vote...

It looks like you're out of votes. You nominated Heaney and Burns and supported Stevens and Dante.

[fantasyfan]

I'll fourth High Windows by Philip Larkin.

[BelleZora]

I'll support Hopkins and Ted Hughes.