To wade into poetry's realm, so vast, As a beginner, let curiosity be your mast, With these steps as your guide, fear not the night, For poetic expression shall be your guiding light. Embrace the Muse, with heart ajar, Let emotions flow, both near and far, For poetry's canvas, emotions paint, A tapestry rich, where words acquaint. Start with simple verses, short and sweet, A haiku's grace, a rhythm to meet, Express a feeling, a fleeting thought, In compact lines, let meaning be caught. Read poets of old, let their words inspire, From classic to modern, let their flames rekindle, Their styles diverse, their voices unique, In their verses, a world to explore and seek. Seek the beauty in everyday sights, In nature's wonders, in city lights, For poetry resides in moments plain, In the rhythm of life, its gentle rain. Find your own voice, let it unfold, In the stories you tell, in tales untold, Your perspective's unique, let it shine through, In each line you pen, in every hue. Play with metaphors, similes too, Imagery's palette, a canvas for you, Comparisons vivid, emotions they ignite, In the reader's mind, they'll take their flight. Experiment with rhyme, or free verse explore, Structure's choice is yours to adore, Let your words flow naturally, like a stream, Or let rhyme guide them, like a well-woven dream. Revise and refine, for words can evolve, Crafting your verses, as problems you solve, Let patience guide you, each draft a step, Towards a poem complete, where emotions are kept. Share your creations, with friends or the page, Let others partake in your poetic stage, Feedback's a gift, for growth it will sow, In the garden of words, watch your talents grow. Remember, dear beginner, it's a journey long, With highs and lows, where you'll belong, Each word you craft, each stanza you weave, In the world of poetry, a legacy you'll leave. So step into the world of verse and rhyme, Embrace the challenge, give yourself time, With each poem penned, your heart's song shall play, As a beginner in poetry, you'll find your own way.
I found reading poets from the same region of myself very helpful when first getting into poetry, for example: Simon Armitage is from the same town as myself and Ted Hughes is from the next town along. These voices have wrote about familiar landscapes and the nature that I often saw and experience around me. Helps in relating. Some of the big Romantic poets are also great starting points!
That's a great philosophy. I've long been a huge Armitage fan myself, and love reading his volumes cover to cover. Yorkshire produced some great poets, didn't it? I remember going up that way for the first time as a Southerner and being blown away by the rolling hills.
Same here. I live near Halifax and enjoy walking onto into the Moors and identifying the locations and feel of the poetry. In the area we also have the Bronte stones and the Armitage stanza stones.
I have suffered, lots this year A lot I can bear, lots I can’t bear I had a love affair with a woman, Who didn’t care for me, and she used me. She abused me, verbally… She abused me, mentally And lastly she acted as she may have had Feelings for me, reeling me in everytime, And every minute she did, with the words I wish to not hear again, from a woman, I love you, dear I fear, to love again, I fear this lots, I fear I’ll be broken again, I never wish to this be spoken of, again… It brought disdain to me… deeply I have suffered, this year, and the context, is I’ve been played, and used a lot, so these words are an example, to suffering. Struggling. I hope, someone there, understands my pain, of all… the pain of it all…
Thanks for this video. I have a crush on someone at work, and one day I mistakenly picked up her beautiful pink phone and saw her poetry club on screen, my heart fluttered. Which started my journey into poetry and someday I hope I can share great pieces with you guys and her.
I think, apart from reading out loud, listening to audiobooks is also might be helpful. From recent personal experience: one friend of mine used to say she does not like poetry, that is until she somehow ended up reading Russian translation of Schiller's "Maria Stuart" while listening to the original in German (she knows a bit of German, but not enough to read complex texts). And now she won't stop talking about all of those German poets :D
Completely agree! Great story :) Finding a good narrator of the poem you want to read is so valuable. I found a narrator of Robert Browning's 'Andrea del Sarto' late last night (he sounds like Vincent Price) and I had such a blast!
I’ve started with Wordsworth as my husband is from the Lake District and I got to visit Wordsworth’s cottage at Grasmere last summer. The Brontes over at Howarth, I’ve read Wuthering Heights so many times.
Watching your Podcast on beginners poetry and am stunned by your Passion for the subject matter.So much so that l went on amazon and ordered two of the books you recomended.But alas,l'm 75yrs old and yet you give heart to start turning those pages ... .. .
I like what you’re saying about Keats and even more so about Tennyson (my favourite). Looking forward to your podcast about “In Memoriam”. In Memoriam with his many cantos just about the one lost love, but exciting and varied from the beginning to the end and as you say: reading loud makes the difference. Shakespeare as well, his plays and his sonnets alike. Yeats indeed, I love the Crazy Janes series so much and still don’t know why.
Oh, "In Memoriam" is so wonderful. I totally get why Tennyson is your favourite! 'He is not here; but far away The noise of life begins again, And ghastly thro' the drizzling rain On the bald street breaks the blank day.'
Yesterday I finally started to read Loren Eiseley for the first time, after a recommendation from a friend back in college. Knowing very little about Eiseley, I went to YT to see what I might discover about him, and found your AMAZING impassioned channel. I did not get to bed for hours and even watched a few more episodes while decorating the tree today ;-) God bless you for keeping literature alive and teaching it with the thrill and sense of adventure it deserves. I was lucky enough to attend Yale and majored in English during the reign of Harold Bloom (though never studied with him). I was deeply blessed to have two professors who patiently guided me through the terrors of poetry, but even so I remained intimidated by poetry for years, so I really empathise with others in their fear. Sometimes it's not easy to find a door or even a window into a poem, and I fared so much better whenever I found a guide to hold my hand, usually a poet writing about other poets s/he loves. My favorite work of this type is Edward Hirsch's How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry. If I were stranded on a desert island, this is the book I'd take, it's that good. I also like the "Ten Poems to.." series Roger Housden has done, just a few poems at a time with his very personal notes about each one. Another reason I probably like these kinds of books so much is because they provide the sense of sharing the joy of a poem with another person. (Hurray for filling that niche with your club, Benjamin!) Really looking forward to Mark Doty's work about Walt Whitman. I have more to suggest on some of your other videos as time permits. I'm soooo grateful for your enthusiasm and the inspiration and sense of kindred spirits this new-to-me channel provides! Thank you!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind comments :) Are you enjoying Loren Eiseley? I recently reread through some of his wonderful essays. It's a shame more people don't know about him. Also how amazing to hear that you attended Yale during the reign of Bloom (I love that). And thank you for these wonderful recommendations. You're so right about the value of having a guide into poetry. Bloom himself said that we have lost our "ear", which creates particular difficulty for appreciating Shakespeare today, an artist of the "auricular". But luckily it can be trained, and we all have that special moment when we realise we get poetry, and then we fall deeply in love. Happy reading, and thank you for watching with such passion!
I only just got into reading poetry as something I stumbled on to loving after studying and training as a screenwriter for the last few years and this is the first video or channel I've watched to look up information about how to find good poetry. Great video and if I can manage to get through all the other stuff I have to read, I want to read these as well. Subscribed.
i wonder if you still interacting wirh comments but i wanted to learn to read poetry, my gf loves mary oliver so much, and here i am trying to start with ocean vuong
“Mario captured and locked up a big brown ape. It was up to the gorilla’s son to help him escape.” Excerpt from Donkey Kong Junior, by Randy Johnson I recommend a beginner look for subjects that interest them. I once read a fantastic poem about fishing, one of the best I’ve ever read, I wish could remember where I read it. I think approaching poetry with outdated or overly flowery language can be a put off for someone just learning to enjoy the art form. Read what you like.
Absolutely love that you read my much beloved Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets which I started collecting in the mid nineties, also enjoyed seeing your books without their dust jackets! Books and Libraries is a favorite anthology in ELPP!
I Love Poetry! I always read lyrics to new albums as poems before I listen to the music.....which is rather distracting once heard.......Ted Hughes...Wodwo. what a book.
Thank you for such an educational and interesting video as always! Just right before I had the thought of diving a little deeper in the world of poetry that I found your video :) anyway, if you had any free time (and of course your will to do it) can you make a video in which discusses about reading speed and reading comprehension and how to improve those skills?
To autumn is my favorite Keats ❤️ I was wondering if you could recommend any of your preferred soft cover poetry editions? The every man auditions are beautiful. However, they're very heavy and I wouldn't want annotating them.
Hi Benjamin,great content and really appreciate it big time.I have a little question that's troubled me for a very long time...I studied English as my second language and while I find it fairly comfortable to read good prose I struggle with poetry ...I ll read a poem and have no idea as to what it's about...I havent found a reliable source online which has a good,in depth analysis or discussion about a good variety of poems.Like you suggested ,if I just pick up a text by Shelley or any of these I really struggle.I cant make head or tail of it.Suggestions??
I started to read poetry I have an anthology, and I'm reading a poem a day, but I can't help but feel that I don't really grasp the meaning. I loved one of Shakespeare poems that I had read. But steel can't help to feel that I'm missing something. Any tips?
I had a question 2 years later but ye i started reading poetry beautiful, i just wanted to know what do i search to get these like a name or a keyword something like that would be helpful
I'm into poetry When I read someone's book Just after I try my best to jot down Those feelings, which are stored inside From many years I eagerly to have a conversation With blank pinkish paper So, that I'll feel good And say All is well
I personally like the gothic atmosphere of 'The Raven', but think his other poems aren't the best, and am amazed he's taught in schools instead of better poets. But, yes, as a first comer to poetry, you might like him :)
To wade into poetry's realm, so vast,
As a beginner, let curiosity be your mast,
With these steps as your guide, fear not the night,
For poetic expression shall be your guiding light.
Embrace the Muse, with heart ajar,
Let emotions flow, both near and far,
For poetry's canvas, emotions paint,
A tapestry rich, where words acquaint.
Start with simple verses, short and sweet,
A haiku's grace, a rhythm to meet,
Express a feeling, a fleeting thought,
In compact lines, let meaning be caught.
Read poets of old, let their words inspire,
From classic to modern, let their flames rekindle,
Their styles diverse, their voices unique,
In their verses, a world to explore and seek.
Seek the beauty in everyday sights,
In nature's wonders, in city lights,
For poetry resides in moments plain,
In the rhythm of life, its gentle rain.
Find your own voice, let it unfold,
In the stories you tell, in tales untold,
Your perspective's unique, let it shine through,
In each line you pen, in every hue.
Play with metaphors, similes too,
Imagery's palette, a canvas for you,
Comparisons vivid, emotions they ignite,
In the reader's mind, they'll take their flight.
Experiment with rhyme, or free verse explore,
Structure's choice is yours to adore,
Let your words flow naturally, like a stream,
Or let rhyme guide them, like a well-woven dream.
Revise and refine, for words can evolve,
Crafting your verses, as problems you solve,
Let patience guide you, each draft a step,
Towards a poem complete, where emotions are kept.
Share your creations, with friends or the page,
Let others partake in your poetic stage,
Feedback's a gift, for growth it will sow,
In the garden of words, watch your talents grow.
Remember, dear beginner, it's a journey long,
With highs and lows, where you'll belong,
Each word you craft, each stanza you weave,
In the world of poetry, a legacy you'll leave.
So step into the world of verse and rhyme,
Embrace the challenge, give yourself time,
With each poem penned, your heart's song shall play,
As a beginner in poetry, you'll find your own way.
That's a pretty good piece! Liked it ✌🏻!
Dang 😅. You’re good
OMG!!
Who is the poet behind this?
Who is the poet behind this?
I found reading poets from the same region of myself very helpful when first getting into poetry, for example: Simon Armitage is from the same town as myself and Ted Hughes is from the next town along. These voices have wrote about familiar landscapes and the nature that I often saw and experience around me. Helps in relating. Some of the big Romantic poets are also great starting points!
That's a great philosophy. I've long been a huge Armitage fan myself, and love reading his volumes cover to cover. Yorkshire produced some great poets, didn't it? I remember going up that way for the first time as a Southerner and being blown away by the rolling hills.
Same here. I live near Halifax and enjoy walking onto into the Moors and identifying the locations and feel of the poetry. In the area we also have the Bronte stones and the Armitage stanza stones.
How to get into poetry SUFFER....that's how you get into poetry..
why is this actually true
Haha so true lol
I have suffered, lots this year
A lot I can bear, lots I can’t bear
I had a love affair with a woman,
Who didn’t care for me, and she used me.
She abused me, verbally…
She abused me, mentally
And lastly she acted as she may have had
Feelings for me, reeling me in everytime,
And every minute she did, with the words
I wish to not hear again, from a woman,
I love you, dear
I fear, to love again, I fear this lots,
I fear I’ll be broken again,
I never wish to this be spoken of, again…
It brought disdain to me… deeply
I have suffered, this year, and the context, is I’ve been played, and used a lot, so these words are an example, to suffering. Struggling. I hope, someone there, understands my pain, of all… the pain of it all…
So true😅
I will not be getting into poetry, thanks
Thanks for this video. I have a crush on someone at work, and one day I mistakenly picked up her beautiful pink phone and saw her poetry club on screen, my heart fluttered. Which started my journey into poetry and someday I hope I can share great pieces with you guys and her.
Don’t give up on your dream
I think, apart from reading out loud, listening to audiobooks is also might be helpful.
From recent personal experience: one friend of mine used to say she does not like poetry, that is until she somehow ended up reading Russian translation of Schiller's "Maria Stuart" while listening to the original in German (she knows a bit of German, but not enough to read complex texts). And now she won't stop talking about all of those German poets :D
Completely agree! Great story :) Finding a good narrator of the poem you want to read is so valuable. I found a narrator of Robert Browning's 'Andrea del Sarto' late last night (he sounds like Vincent Price) and I had such a blast!
Late to the party but wanted to add: Sir Ian McKellen has an excellent reading of Rime of the Ancient Mariner - its available on RUclips even
I’ve started with Wordsworth as my husband is from the Lake District and I got to visit Wordsworth’s cottage at Grasmere last summer. The Brontes over at Howarth, I’ve read Wuthering Heights so many times.
Watching your Podcast on beginners poetry and am stunned by your Passion for the subject matter.So much so that l went on amazon and ordered two of the books you recomended.But alas,l'm 75yrs old and yet you give heart to start turning those pages ...
..
.
That's amazing, John! I am so happy to hear that - I hope you enjoy them :)
Love your collection Ben. You should do a little tour. It looks like you have some amazing editions!
Thank you! Tour definitely on the way :)
I like what you’re saying about Keats and even more so about Tennyson (my favourite). Looking forward to your podcast about “In Memoriam”. In Memoriam with his many cantos just about the one lost love, but exciting and varied from the beginning to the end and as you say: reading loud makes the difference. Shakespeare as well, his plays and his sonnets alike. Yeats indeed, I love the Crazy Janes series so much and still don’t know why.
Oh, "In Memoriam" is so wonderful. I totally get why Tennyson is your favourite!
'He is not here; but far away
The noise of life begins again,
And ghastly thro' the drizzling rain
On the bald street breaks the blank day.'
Yesterday I finally started to read Loren Eiseley for the first time, after a recommendation from a friend back in college. Knowing very little about Eiseley, I went to YT to see what I might discover about him, and found your AMAZING impassioned channel. I did not get to bed for hours and even watched a few more episodes while decorating the tree today ;-) God bless you for keeping literature alive and teaching it with the thrill and sense of adventure it deserves.
I was lucky enough to attend Yale and majored in English during the reign of Harold Bloom (though never studied with him). I was deeply blessed to have two professors who patiently guided me through the terrors of poetry, but even so I remained intimidated by poetry for years, so I really empathise with others in their fear. Sometimes it's not easy to find a door or even a window into a poem, and I fared so much better whenever I found a guide to hold my hand, usually a poet writing about other poets s/he loves. My favorite work of this type is Edward Hirsch's How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry. If I were stranded on a desert island, this is the book I'd take, it's that good. I also like the "Ten Poems to.." series Roger Housden has done, just a few poems at a time with his very personal notes about each one. Another reason I probably like these kinds of books so much is because they provide the sense of sharing the joy of a poem with another person. (Hurray for filling that niche with your club, Benjamin!) Really looking forward to Mark Doty's work about Walt Whitman.
I have more to suggest on some of your other videos as time permits. I'm soooo grateful for your enthusiasm and the inspiration and sense of kindred spirits this new-to-me channel provides! Thank you!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind comments :) Are you enjoying Loren Eiseley? I recently reread through some of his wonderful essays. It's a shame more people don't know about him. Also how amazing to hear that you attended Yale during the reign of Bloom (I love that). And thank you for these wonderful recommendations. You're so right about the value of having a guide into poetry. Bloom himself said that we have lost our "ear", which creates particular difficulty for appreciating Shakespeare today, an artist of the "auricular". But luckily it can be trained, and we all have that special moment when we realise we get poetry, and then we fall deeply in love. Happy reading, and thank you for watching with such passion!
I would recommend the anthology The 20th century in Poetry. Hulse and and Rae, published by Ebury Press. All arranged in chronological order
I only just got into reading poetry as something I stumbled on to loving after studying and training as a screenwriter for the last few years and this is the first video or channel I've watched to look up information about how to find good poetry. Great video and if I can manage to get through all the other stuff I have to read, I want to read these as well. Subscribed.
i have an anthology of poems in my native language and I'm very excited to finally pick it up, thank you for the video
i wonder if you still interacting wirh comments but i wanted to learn to read poetry, my gf loves mary oliver so much, and here i am trying to start with ocean vuong
“Mario captured and locked up a big brown ape.
It was up to the gorilla’s son to help him escape.”
Excerpt from Donkey Kong Junior, by Randy Johnson
I recommend a beginner look for subjects that interest them. I once read a fantastic poem about fishing, one of the best I’ve ever read, I wish could remember where I read it.
I think approaching poetry with outdated or overly flowery language can be a put off for someone just learning to enjoy the art form. Read what you like.
Absolutely love that you read my much beloved Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets which I started collecting in the mid nineties, also enjoyed seeing your books without their dust jackets! Books and Libraries is a favorite anthology in ELPP!
That's so awesome to hear you're a collector too! They're really beautiful little volumes :)
Time Out. Most excellent music. I have that vinyl as well.
You have good taste, sir :)
I Love Poetry! I always read lyrics to new albums as poems before I listen to the music.....which is rather distracting once heard.......Ted Hughes...Wodwo. what a book.
Thank you for such an educational and interesting video as always! Just right before I had the thought of diving a little deeper in the world of poetry that I found your video :) anyway, if you had any free time (and of course your will to do it) can you make a video in which discusses about reading speed and reading comprehension and how to improve those skills?
Great idea for a video - thank you :) I'm sure I can get one out on that!
love listening to poetry read aloud. oh keep going with that La Bell Dame Sand Merci! lots of great choices...I love Rumi too
To autumn is my favorite Keats ❤️
I was wondering if you could recommend any of your preferred soft cover poetry editions? The every man auditions are beautiful. However, they're very heavy and I wouldn't want annotating them.
Hi Benjamin,great content and really appreciate it big time.I have a little question that's troubled me for a very long time...I studied English as my second language and while I find it fairly comfortable to read good prose I struggle with poetry ...I ll read a poem and have no idea as to what it's about...I havent found a reliable source online which has a good,in depth analysis or discussion about a good variety of poems.Like you suggested ,if I just pick up a text by Shelley or any of these I really struggle.I cant make head or tail of it.Suggestions??
I started to read poetry I have an anthology, and I'm reading a poem a day, but I can't help but feel that I don't really grasp the meaning. I loved one of Shakespeare poems that I had read. But steel can't help to feel that I'm missing something. Any tips?
What do you not like about Wordsworth the man?
And no birds sing !
A nightmare for those who can imagine it
Oh, yes, absolutely!
It’s the middle of the night and I have adhd time to develope a new hobby I will probably never pick up again after today 😍🥰
Thank you for great videos. 🙏
Thank you for watching :)
Does anyone know who published the pocket poetry books he's referencing?
Everyman's Library :)
I had a question 2 years later but ye i started reading poetry beautiful, i just wanted to know what do i search to get these like a name or a keyword something like that would be helpful
I'm into poetry
When I read someone's book
Just after
I try my best to jot down
Those feelings,
which are stored inside
From many years
I eagerly to have a conversation
With blank pinkish paper
So, that I'll feel good
And say
All is well
2:50 dammm its make me cry
What's your opinion On Edgar Allan Poe's Poems ? Is it good for a beginner?
I personally like the gothic atmosphere of 'The Raven', but think his other poems aren't the best, and am amazed he's taught in schools instead of better poets. But, yes, as a first comer to poetry, you might like him :)
Read
Ulalume
Tamerlane
Thank you
Hi Benjamin, I'm pretty new to reading, is there anything from you that'd help me, anything would be appreciated
Hi. I love poetry
/gerard Manley hopkins
Can you provide links of the books you recommended on amazon
It's pronounced "Yates" my man, not "Yeets" - on behalf of all Irish people 😂
Yup. I'm aware, but my mouth rarely lets me say the correct pronunciation 🤷♂️
"Read it to someone else" hehehe...yeah....
Bob Dylan is a potent wellspring. And he loves God, the source of all poetry.