h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

(first of all: sorry if this turns up more than once - this is my third attempt of posting this)

One of Goethe's poems just popped up in my head the other day. Thinking about it, I remembered that I've always felt a bit uncomfortable about several of Goethe's poems - idyllic on the surface but with dark undercurrents...

The poem is this one (apologies if it isn't correct word for word - this is the version when music was added - I think...):

Über alle Gipfeln
Ist Ruh

(stillness)

In allen Wipfeln
Spürest du
Kaum einen Hauch

(no wind, all is quiet>

Die Vöglein schweigen,
schweigen im Walde.

(even the birds are quiet - I've got no trouble with the poem this far, it seems to one of those very warm summer days - but then

Warte nur, warte nur, balde
Ruhest du auch.

(which sounds rather threatening to me! *looks over shoulder*)

For a complete translation, see:
http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au/words/authors/C/CloughArthurHugh/verse/poemsproseremains/goethe.html

Not to mention the poem Erlkönig (The Elfking) - that is really scary stuff! With music added, it becomes even more ominous - you can hear the horse gallopping: ta-ga-da, ta-ga-da...
http://ingeb.org/Lieder/werreite.html

It's a very nice poem Titania. Sometimes I wish I had more time to read poetry, life is too short! Maybe I'll make it a new years resolution to devote more time to reading
Take care

There's an excellent place on the net for poetry - unfortunately it only contains poems written in English, no translated ones. But still, I like it:

http://www.emule.com/poetry/

One of my favourite poems can be found there!
First read The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, to get an idea about the rhyme and rhythm.
Then read Abort Retry Ignore by Anonymous

The Raven is very good indeed - I have never been able to get really into reading poetry consistently but that is one I have enjoyed.

(I have, strangely enough, read more poetry lately than ever before. Maybe I'm growing up? )

BTW, do you know the Alan Parsons Project music to Poe? Quite if I may say so...

Alan Parsons? Sorry, no - but sometimes added music can do wonders for a poem!