Dear community,
Today, we celebrate World Poetry Day! There are of many brilliant poems written in the English language. A few of my favourite English language poets are Maya Angelou, Mary Oliver, and Ada Limón. Maybe you also have a favourite poet or a favourite poem. If so, I'd love for us all to share them in the comments below so that fellow community members can enjoy that piece of writing :-)
Here, I will share one of my favourite poems, Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese".
"You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting–
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things."
-
Looking forward to reading what you will share!
Warmly,
Marieke, OLS Community Manager - English
World Poetry Day: Share Your Favourite English Poem!
Number of replies: 4
In reply to Marieke OLS Community Manager
Re: World Poetry Day: Share Your Favourite English Poem!
Carpe Diem
Don’t allow the day to end without having grown a bit,
without being happy, without feeding your dreams.
Don’t be defeated by discouragement.
Don’t allow anyone to take away your right to express yourself,
which is almost a duty.
Don’t abandon the desire to make something extraordinary of your life.
Don’t stop believing that words and poetry can change the world.
No matter what happens, our essence is intact.
We are beings filled with passion.
Life is both desert and Oasis.
It knocks us down, it hurts us, it teaches us,
it turns us into the protagonists of our own stories.
Even if the winds blow against us,
the powerful masterpiece continues:
You can add a stanza.
Never stop dreaming,
because in Dreams Man can be free.
Don’t fall into the most fatal of errors: Silence.
The majority live in a frightful silence.
Don’t resign yourself to this, flee…..
“I emit my screams from the roofs of this world”, says the poet.
Value the beauty of the simple things.
One can make beautiful poetry about little things.
Don’t betray you beliefs,
because we can’t row against our own selves:
That turns life into hell.
Enjoy the panic provoked by having your life in front of you.
Live it intensely, without mediocrity.
Remember that the future is within you,
so face your duties with pride and without fear.
Learn from those who can teach you.
From the experiences of those that preceded us,
our “Dead Poets”,
They will help you walk through life.
The society of today is us:
The “Living Poets”
Don’t allow life to get by you
without living it…
Don’t allow the day to end without having grown a bit,
without being happy, without feeding your dreams.
Don’t be defeated by discouragement.
Don’t allow anyone to take away your right to express yourself,
which is almost a duty.
Don’t abandon the desire to make something extraordinary of your life.
Don’t stop believing that words and poetry can change the world.
No matter what happens, our essence is intact.
We are beings filled with passion.
Life is both desert and Oasis.
It knocks us down, it hurts us, it teaches us,
it turns us into the protagonists of our own stories.
Even if the winds blow against us,
the powerful masterpiece continues:
You can add a stanza.
Never stop dreaming,
because in Dreams Man can be free.
Don’t fall into the most fatal of errors: Silence.
The majority live in a frightful silence.
Don’t resign yourself to this, flee…..
“I emit my screams from the roofs of this world”, says the poet.
Value the beauty of the simple things.
One can make beautiful poetry about little things.
Don’t betray you beliefs,
because we can’t row against our own selves:
That turns life into hell.
Enjoy the panic provoked by having your life in front of you.
Live it intensely, without mediocrity.
Remember that the future is within you,
so face your duties with pride and without fear.
Learn from those who can teach you.
From the experiences of those that preceded us,
our “Dead Poets”,
They will help you walk through life.
The society of today is us:
The “Living Poets”
Don’t allow life to get by you
without living it…
In reply to Gina Paola Perez Murcia
Re: World Poetry Day: Share Your Favourite English Poem!
Thank you for sharing that beautiful Walt Whitman poem with us Gina!
In reply to Marieke OLS Community Manager
Re: World Poetry Day: Share Your Favourite English Poem!
by water melon -
I love it - "My Nation" - Ramesh T A
I live where flowers bloom all round the year!
All natural resources are well available here.
Many rivers of life run through the nation!
Dry lands and fertile lands are a combination.
Blue sky, grey sky and misty sky are there!
Birds of many colours are we can see here.
Two seas and one ocean surrounds the nation.
Tallest mountain in the world is here a fashion!
Mountains on the North and seas in the South
This nation has ever with many a colourful fete!
Fishing and agricultural activities occupy ever
People here though ignored by industries sure.
This land of beauty and greatness all love to visit
Coming from North or South or East or West...!
I live where flowers bloom all round the year!
All natural resources are well available here.
Many rivers of life run through the nation!
Dry lands and fertile lands are a combination.
Blue sky, grey sky and misty sky are there!
Birds of many colours are we can see here.
Two seas and one ocean surrounds the nation.
Tallest mountain in the world is here a fashion!
Mountains on the North and seas in the South
This nation has ever with many a colourful fete!
Fishing and agricultural activities occupy ever
People here though ignored by industries sure.
This land of beauty and greatness all love to visit
Coming from North or South or East or West...!
In reply to Marieke OLS Community Manager
Re: World Poetry Day: Share Your Favourite English Poem!
by vacy vacy -
We Are Family - Kelly Roper
We are family,
Not just because we share blood,
But because we share a bond
Built from abiding love.
Here is the one i like
We are family,
Not just because we share blood,
But because we share a bond
Built from abiding love.
Here is the one i like