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Hello, i have been meaning to get into poetry a long time now but i don't know where to begin. I read a lot of classical literature from all genres and periods but never got around to undrstanding the appeal of poetry. So my question is: Do you have any suggestions, for someone who has never read poetry and does not see the appeal, to slowly start getting into it?
Howdy and welcome !
Try the "Name Association Game" http://www.online-literature.com/for...96#post1341096 where for several months we've been exploring poets and their poetry by supporting with links in a very informal manner. I'd recommend starting at the end (current posts) and moving backward in time for an eclectic sampling.
Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY
I would suggest getting hold of a good anthology. The Map & the Clock covers a wide range of (British) Poetry, Donald Allen's New American Poetry covers a delicious selection of Beat Poetry and any Norton Anthology will also give you a good range. If you are looking for more contemporary stuff, then Youtube is your friend. Look for Katie Tempest as a starting point and go from there.
If you want to start slowly, read Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice". It is short: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poe...3/fire-and-ice
Did you like that and want more?
Don't forget, the lyrics of almost every song you hear on the radio is a kind of poetry. Do you like any of those?
Norton's Anthology
https://www.amazon.com/Norton-Anthol.../dp/0393979202
It's very modern in it's choices
Maybe buy any 100 best poems, I like my British one. They come in different kinds, 110 best love poem, mourning, etc etc.
Mine is called something like ‘Favourite British Poems to Read Out Loud’. They also come specified by time periods, countries, original language, pick something that interests you anyway and the poetry might feel lees ‘strange’ because you already know something about the topic.
A book with several poems gives you the opportunity to read different poets and not have to commit to a whole book by them. I like lots of poems but seldom everything from one poet.
I’ll include one of my favourite poems, ‘Invictus’ by Wiliam Ernest Henley.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51642/invictus