A Conversation for Poetry

Poetry UNlimited

Post 1

Dandelion Pegleen

When I flick to h2g2.com, my first stop is always the New Guide Entries. Today (Wed 8 Sep 1999) Poetry was one of those entries. I hadn't encountered any of Ginger's work before, and after reading the Guide Entry for Poetry, I checked out Ginger the Feisty's home as well. Very impressive, if any readers haven't been there. I'm going to have to get a book on web coding, methinks.

My tuppenceworth, if ANYBODY is interested, is that there is more to poetry on and of Earth than merely the rhyming / non-rhyming versicles, about Love, Death or Animals. The current Guide Entry appears to describe the state of poetry in Her Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the end of the twentieth century C.E.

I'm not an expert on Japanese haiku. I have read some translations of Basho's work and they are gorgeous. Some of them are indeed about love, others about death or animals. Mostly they express an emotion and a season. I don't know if they rhyme in Japanese, or even if rhyme and/or assonance etc have the same applications as poetry in English.

I understand the humour of the Guide Entry, even though I'm American. BUT - do any other Guide Researchers share my opinion that while humour is good, and essential - it WOULD also be nice if we could create a definitively (in)accurate Guide? Poetry is a universal human experience here on Planet Earth, and would therefore be a good place to start. smiley - smiley


Poetry UNlimited

Post 2

Researcher 26211

Gosh, that's impressive.

I also am not an expert on Haiku (frankly, it all sounds the same with a raw fish in your mouth). However you don't have to go much further than your own fair shores to find gorgeous expressions of emotions / seasons.
Ralph Waldo E, anyone ? or perhaps Walt (Whitman, not Disney - It's a Small World don't count as poetry, my sweet) or Edna St Vincent Mllay.

P.S. There are philistines exchanging LIMERICKS not twenty yards away.


Limericks UNlimited

Post 3

Dandelion Pegleen

REALLY? Well b*gger me backwards with a bargepole (figuratively speaking)! Limericks kick butt, and are a legitimate form of poetry that ain't about love death or animals (unless you hear a REALLY filthy example!).

Thanks for the reminder about Ralph Waldo & Walt - from what I know of them I heartily agree. Due to British upbringing, studied our late great Laureate Hughes at school, and only did a little Longfellow.

Next time me in bookstore, will pick up a volume of m'heritage - shall leave you now with a limerick written for me:

There was a young girl called Elaine,
Whom no one could think of as plain.
The fellows pursue her,
In order to woo her,
Again and again and again!

This was written for me 10 years ago, when I had not yet turned 16, by Professor Isaac Asimov. You are sorely missed, Professor. Shalom


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