Tag: poetry

National Poetry Month: April 7th

April 7, 2012

When I Was One-and-Twenty by A.E. Housman

When I was one-and-twenty
       I heard a wise man say,
“Give crowns and pounds and guineas
       But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
       But keep your fancy free.”
But I was one-and-twenty,
       No use to talk to me.
.
When I was one-and-twenty
       I heard him say again,
“The heart out of the bosom
       Was never given in vain;
’Tis paid with sighs a plenty
       And sold for endless rue.”
And I am two-and-twenty,
       And oh, ’tis true, ’tis true.

This poem was selected by Kate K. (North Branch)

Poetry Copyright Notice

National Poetry Month: April 6th

April 6, 2012

Smile on the Edge by Nancy Etchemendy

Don’t tell me not to smile
when I contemplate the edge.
You don’t know my mind,
the flavor of the wind
on this rocky plateau,
how the horse between my thighs,
povrecito, wants only to be free,
how it strains in its rage and sorrow
toward this darkness
where I must surely follow,
my hands so raw,
its mouth so bloody
I have let go the reins.
The smile makes a small pool,
a memory of how water tastes,
of sky colors,
the scent of virgin grass,
things the darkness cannot offer,
and the horse feels this.
Don’t tell me
the smile costs too much,
that it is a bad bargain.
You do not know.

This poem was selected by Beth M. (Library Administration)

Poetry Copyright Notice

National Poetry Month: April 4th

April 4, 2012

Why Should Not Old Men Be Mad? by William Butler Yeats

Why should not old men be mad?
Some have known a likely lad
That had a sound fly-fisher’s wrist
Turn to a drunken journalist;
A girl that knew all Dante once
Live to bear children to a dunce;
A Helen of social welfare dream,
Climb on a wagonette to scream.
Some think it a matter of course that chance
Should starve good men and bad advance,
That if their neighbours figured plain,
As though upon a lighted screen,
No single story would they find
Of an unbroken happy mind,
A finish worthy of the start.
Young men know nothing of this sort,
Observant old men know it well;
And when they know what old books tell
And that no better can be had,
Know why an old man should be mad.

This poem was selected by Lesley W. (Head of Adult Services)

Poetry Copyright Notice

National Poetry Month: April 3rd

April 3, 2012

Harlem by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred?

      Does it dry up
      like a raisin in the sun?
      Or fester like a sore–
      And then run?
      Does it stink like rotten meat?
      Or crust and sugar over–
      like a syrupy sweet?
                                                                 .
      Maybe it just sags
      like a heavy load.
                                                                            .
      Or does it explode?

This poem was selected by Elvira Carrizal-Dukes (Readers’ Services)

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National Poetry Month: April 2nd

April 2, 2012

Nature Knows Best by Ogden Nash

I don’t know exactly how long ago Hector was a pup,
But it was quite long ago, and even then people used to have
                      to start their day by getting up.
Yes, people have been getting up for centuries,
They have been getting up in palaces and Pullmans and penitentiaries.
One fact for which every historian vouches
Is that every morning in history began
                      with people getting up off their couches. Continue reading “National Poetry Month: April 2nd” →

National Poetry Month: April 1st

April 1, 2012

Happiness by Carl Sandburg

I asked professors who teach the meaning of life to tell me what is happiness.
And I went to famous executives who boss the work of thousands of men.
They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though I was trying
     to fool with them.
And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along the Desplaines river
And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with their women and
    children and a keg of beer and an accordian.

This poem was selected by Russell J. (Readers’ Services)

Poetry Copyright Notice

April is National Poetry Month

Chances are good it snuck up on you.  Between the madness of your NCAA brackets, the July-like March sunshine, and standing in line at The Hunger Games premiere, you very likely didn’t notice National Poetry Month peeking around the corner.  But April is here, friends, and fortunately you’ve come to THE place for your poetry celebration.  Off the Shelf has you covered.  You see, today we kick-off our 3rd annual National Poetry Month extravaganza during which we showcase one staff-picked “Poem of the Day” for the entire month of April.  For your poetry pleasure, we’ll also have plenty of poetry news, features, and much, much more.  So sit back, relax, and stay awhile.  This poetry party is just getting started.

Poetry 365: Laura Kasischke

March 16, 2012

Poet Laura Kasischke

This month for Poetry 365 we’re highlighting Laura Kasischke’s ambitious new volume Space, in Chains.  A 2011 NY Times Notable Book, the Pushcart Prize winner’s eighth collection finds her pursuing her signature stream-of-consciousness style while also exploring her new interest in the prose poem.  Mingling homey memories of childhood with questions about the existence of God, Kasischke’s haunting and hypnotic pieces often resemble impressionist paintings as they “walk that perfect Plathian line between the everyday… and the eternal.”  So check out this profound new collection, sample a poem below, and clear your calendar… our National Poetry Month celebration is about to begin.

Continue reading “Poetry 365: Laura Kasischke” →

Poetry 365

February 13, 2012

Poet Tracy K. Smith

This month for Poetry 365 we’re featuring Tracy K. Smith’s brilliant new volume Life on Mars.  A 2011 NY Times Notable Book, the Princeton professor’s third collection showcases her impressive range as it blends “pop culture, history, elegy, anecdote, and sociopolitical commentary to illustrate the weirdness of contemporary living.”  Hypnotic, ironic, and spiritual, Life on Mars is a stunning tour de force that finds Smith pausing to mourn her late father before blasting off to explore her vision of our sci-fi future.  So check out this remarkable new collection, sample a poem below, and make sure to stop back next month for Poetry 365.

Continue reading “Poetry 365” →

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