Classic Remarks is a meme that is hosted by Pages Unbound which poses questions each Friday about classic literature and asks participants to engage in ongoing discussions surrounding not only themes in the novels but also questions about canon formation, the “timelessness” of literature, and modes of interpretation.
April 2, 2021: What are some poems you enjoy from classic authors?
It is #NationalPoetryMonth, and I decided that the Classic Remarks prompt for today was a good place to start my Classic Remarks. I haven’t posted a meme or group question type post is a looooooooong time.
Whenever I’m asked about my favorite poems I have two that instantly come to mind.
The first is The Tyger by William Blake. I love the sense of rhyme and meter in this poem. It’s a classic that can be read and enjoyed by all ages.
The second is Sonnet 1 in Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. EBB is my favorite poet and this poem swells with feeling to the great ending line “Not Death, But Love.” I enjoy this poem so much more than her more popular “How do I Love Thee.”
Another EBB poem that I enjoy is My Heart and I. I think a lot of people in 2021 will instantly connect with the first line ” ENOUGH ! we’re tired, my heart and I.” The poem flows with the nature of grief and is simply beautiful.
I’ll leave you with one last classic poem, Sonnet 24 by the bard himself Shakespeare. I enjoy the poetic form of sonnets and while not as well know for his poetry Shakespeare was a master at the art form. This one makes me think of my favorite play of his, Hamlet. When Hamlet comes in to say goodbye to Ophelia and she reports how he scared he to her father. “He falls to such perusal of my face. As he would draw it.”
Do you have a favorite poem by a classic author? Leave me a comment below to let me know what it is.