From: Lullaby
Lay your sleeping head, my love,
Human on my faithless arm;
Time and fevers burn away
Individual beauty from
Thoughtful children, and the grave
Proves the child ephemeral:
But in my arms till break of day
Let the living creature lie,
Mortal, guilty, but to me
The entirely beautiful…
…every farthing of the cost,
All the dreaded card foretell,
Shall be paid, but from this night
Not a whisper, not a thought,
Not a kiss nor look be lost.
W.H.Auden
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
Sonnet 29
When in disgrace with Fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur’d like him, like him with friends possess’d,
Desiring this man’s art, and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee – and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
William Shakespeare
From: Ode: Intimations of Immortality
What through the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength I what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.
William Wordsworth
Icy wings? Been reading Mallarme’s ‘Le vierge, le vivace et le bel aujourd’hui’ recently? 😀
I love that Poe piece, fits so well and a wonderfully musical, avant-garde power-chorded version was done by crazy Norwegians Arcturus years ago.
Hi, I’m Emily Dickinson, I’m going to be brilliant in ten lines. I’m not jealous. Grumble. But Tennyson? I’m shocked. 😎
Awesome stuff, Jas. Really is amazing how so much brilliant verse perfectly encapsulates the soul of the show, its *humanity*.
Jas, you are wonderfull, this was so beautiful. I loved each and every piece and they were excellent and deep and true… *sniffle*
I *heart* you for this 🙂
I gotta add that I especially was taken with the first one from William Henley. That was lovely and very fitting with our two heroes. Also loved the ones from Poe and Frost. But they were all great, full of thought and grace. True brilliance. I have no words.
I love this site 🙂 This is love and peace and trust all over. And I’m not being sarcastic (sorry Dean) 😉
Hi Jasminka
Wow! This was wonderfull.
Thank-you so much.
Jasminka, you are a wonder!
So appropriate and moving for our brothers. Very emotion inducing. (sniffling desperately)
These are wonderful–haven’t had much time for poetry since college (when I was required to make time), but I’d have loved these even if I’d never heard of the brothers Winchester
I hope it’s okay that i didn’t read a single word that was written in this article because i was too occupied drooling over the pictures that accompanied each poems. :roll::
Beautiful, Jas…as always. Loved the poems, one and all, and SOOOOO much enjoyed the screen caps. So poignantly placed. Hope your holidays are happy and safe, and look forward to hearing from you next year.
Sablegreen, anene, elenaM, Bevie, Karen, Supernarttu and Randal, happy new year and thanks so much for your sweet comments!!
After a great vacation with the people most dear to me I returned safely home. To be able to live (almost) without a computer and the internet was actually not bad, there were so many things to do, time to spend with each other (some of them I hardly see twice a year due to working conditions… don’t get me started), so I find my batteries recharged and I’m ready for this year…
Randal, to my shame I have to admit I haven’t read Mallarme a lot… does Rimbaud count (that one I love)? And, hell, yes, Tennyson… you can’t be at all surprised, eh?
Last time I was in London I went (and I do every time) to the National Portrait Gallery and for the first time I saw a painting of the young Tennyson (they change the exhibited pieces, you know). I was stunned. It’s a great thing you can acquire a print of every painting they have, and he lives now in a frame on my wall, watching over my poetry books. Beautiful, beautiful man… Sorry for rambling… And, again – yes, Poe… beloved, tragic Poe… that poem is pure music….
Supernarttu, that poem by Henley is probably my favourite. Whenever I feel down or weak (it happens) I think of Invictus (you can hear me mumbling it) and it always reminds me of the energy that lives in my soul, and I feel better. Instant magic. ).
Karen and Bevie, I’m so happy to have been able to move you with these words… these poets were/are true masters…
elenaM, perhaps you should take those poetry books out again? I bet you’ll have fun re-discovering some…
anene, sweet… well, the great thing is, poems can be read again and again and again, hehehe….
Sablegreen, I’m happy you loved the poems and caps… The great thing about composing an article like this (and the credit goes to the poets, here, I only put it together) is – I’m allowed to insert pics I personally love… Writing for this site does have a lot of perks…
Thanks, y’all (getting better with the Southern accent),
Jas