Wednesday, April 1, 2009

April showers bring . . . National Poetry Month!

http://www.poets.org/images/npm_poster_2009_550.gif
It is indeed that time of year again.
Rejoice! Throw your hands in the air and do a little poetic dance! Tell you friends and family, and share a poem with them! Have a feast, or, at the very least, a poetry reading!
It's National Poetry Month.
This year's promo poster, designed by the Academy of American Poets, features T.S. Eliot's question from a portion of his "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."



And indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair— 40
[They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”]
My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,
My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin—
[They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”]
Do I dare 45
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.


I love this poem!
This is one of my favorite verses:

For I have known them all already, known them all:—
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, 50
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;
I know the voices dying with a dying fall
Beneath the music from a farther room.
So how should I presume?

Read the entire poem here.
Do I dare disturb the universe?
Do you?

3 comments:

Abigail Kreighbaum said...

I never knew that April was national poetry month!

Joy said...

you said that last year :)!!!

Scott said...

You must like it for the coffee reference. :)