Poem of the Day

[enzed]

Here's one of my favourite romantic poets.


Elizabeth Barret Browning - Sonnets from the Portuguese

XLIII
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday`s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle - light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood`s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, - I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

---------------------------------------------------------------
In high school I had the same english teacher for 3 years in a row.
She taught me to enjoy poetry and to appreciate Shakespeare (Over ten years later, I can still remember most of the words from "That Time of year" off by heart)

[margo49]

Nothing like knowing stuff by heart.
A few months ago I read this piece where this Christian Nun said we should learn a lot of stuff by heart because at the sticky end all you will have is your memory so there'd better be something in it.
Staves off Alzheimer's too in the meantime!

[KnottedYet]

excerpt from Morning Song of Senlin

It is morning, I awake from a bed of silence,
Shining I rise from the starless waters of sleep.
The walls are about me still as in the evening,
I am the same, and the same name still I keep.

The earth revolves with me, yet makes no motion,
The stars pale silently in a coral sky.
In a whistling void I stand before my mirror,
Unconcerned and tie my tie.

There are horses neighing on far-off hills
Tossing their long white manes,
And mountains flash in the rose-white dusk,
Their shoulders black with rains...
It is morning. I stand by the mirror
And surprise my soul once more;
The blue air rushes above my ceiling,
There are suns beneath my floor...

--Conrad Aiken