Comments on: National Poetry Month: The Best 46 Cents I Ever Spent and an AMV Giveaway!

By: Th.

Th. — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:22:12 +0000

I liked most of Bennion’s stuff that I’ve seen so far. I would check it out.

By: Laura Craner

Laura Craner — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:38:45 +0000

Beth– I can’t wait to read his collection. I loved the poems in Irreantum.

Darlene–thanks for mentioning that anthology. I’d never heard of it! I’ll see if I can get it less than 50 cents :)

By: Darlene

Darlene — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:25:56 +0000

I love my copy of _Discoveries_, a collection of Mormon women’s poetry. Penny Allen’s poem, “Blackberry,” takes my breath away. I’m memorizing it this month.

By: Beth Bentley

Beth Bentley — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:39 +0000

Mark Bennion of BYU-Idaho is my new favorite LDS poet. Parables is brining out his _Psalm and Selah_ this spring. It’s a collection of first-person narratives in the voices of various Book of Mormon charcters. Selected poems have been published in just about every LDS print venue, including the latest _Irreantum_. I think he’s going to change some people’s minds about hating poetry.

Beth

By: Kelly Meilstrup

Kelly Meilstrup — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:03:57 +0000

Laura, no the best poetry is not spiritually instructive, but it does have to resonate with me. It should be about a universal theme that I can relate and identify with: love, testimony, heartache, loss. Poetry has to make me feel something, or even give me a good laugh. Also, the language needs to be beautiful — word things in a way that I never would have thought of, and yet rings true. It must be intellectually pleasing, and yet touch my heart and soul too.
I suppose I’m asking too much, but those are the poems that I will remember forever.

By: Th.

Th. — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:36:06 +0000

Also in my ward library. We have several volumes of Whitney poems.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:00:41 +0000

(I hope you don't mind me dropping some links, Kelly.) The Whitney poem, "The Soul's Captain," can be found online here (scroll down), here (scroll down), and here.

By: Laura Craner

Laura Craner — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:42:49 +0000

Oh, and I’m taking the shortage of commenters on this post as a sign that poetry may actually be dead in the world. Sad. I might have to dress in black all month.

By: Laura Craner

Laura Craner — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:41:25 +0000

Th- If you and Kelly are the only ones who comment that don’t already own a copy of _Harvest_ I’m getting one for both of you!

I disagree that poetry is harder to read. I think that with any literature what you get out of it is equal to what you put into it. If you want to just read a poem quickly, like a novel, well then read it quick and the general mood and feeling will be what you get out of it. If you want to decode a poem (or a novel or a short story) then you have to slow down and really analyze the language. I think waaay too many people freak themselves out about poetry thinking it’s got to be some sort of difficult and intense experience. It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. I think the best poetry (and the best novels and stuff) work on cursory levels and on in-depth levels.

And as for reading out loud, one of the reasons I knew I was “meant” to be a writer was the fact that if I loved a text I would mouth the words and dramatize them in my brain. And, well, I’m always talking to myself–I think of it as a form of rough drafting–so reading out loud is a step in the right direction.

Kelly– I love that one! Thanks for taking the time to share it here :) Where did you find it? Do you have some sort of LDS poetry stash you’re not telling me about? If so, you’d better give it to me for my next birthday! If you do stop by again, I have a question for you: In your mind, is the best poetry spiritually instructive or does that matter?

By: Th.

Th. — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:59:25 +0000

Wow–that is one of, like, five OW poems I’ve ever read. Glad I chose well.