The editors on coffee house writers challenged the poetry department to write a sestina. That is so out of my wheelhouse, so I am very proud of the result. So proud that I used it for my post this time.
Life’s gift on coffee house
Category: Women Poets
Ode to poetry
The technical definition ode
/ōd/
noun
a lyric poem in the form of an address to a particular subject, often elevated in style or manner and written in varied or irregular meter.
a poem meant to be sung An ode is a type of lyrical stanza. It is an elaborately structured poem praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three major parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode.
In plain words… An ode is a poem written about a single subject that is usually meant to be sung. (You see this often with poetry… Meant to be sung. Not all poetry works as song, but if you can’t at least read it aloud then you need to rewrite it.)
I am a free poet. The more structure in a form the harder time I have with it. Not because I do not know how to write within a structure, but because I don’t like the confines. Some poets are assisted by the structure. I am not.
I read that the best poets know and understand the rules of poetry so as to break them. I have been finding out lately that I can write these forms, just that I do not want to. However, that is me. You may enjoy the structure of a new form.
Here is my attempt at an ode.
Emily Dickinson
So, first I apologize for the lateness, today has been incredibly busy.
Emily Dickinson was the first poetry I ever read. I was amazed by the images her words… After her I found other greats such as Poe, Shakespeare, Blake, and other such poets. Still she was the first and still one of my favorites.
Coffee House – Halfway Home
Monday poetry
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
I think that the teenager I was fell in love with the idea of a teen girl poet. Her words spoke to me deeply. Btw… My apology for missing Sunday. I slept all day.
Sylvia Plath
I found this poet through her prose. Her Bell Jar was an amazing read.
Edna St. Vincent Millay
This poet I also found in Up A Road Slowly by Irene Hunt.
Her work was slightly more melancholy. It caught my attention because it reminded me of Edgar Allan Poe.
Sara Teasdale
Sara Teasdale is one of two poets that I found through Irene Hunt’s coming of age novel. I fell in love with the poem “I shall not care” and had to search for more by her. Admitted, I have not researched the poet as well as I did her work.
Her writing is flowing and feels like love poetry with out the sappy nature of some love poetry. I chose four of her poems to share as my favorite of hers. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.
And a side note… I thoroughly recommend Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt. The story is dated, but it holds up well. The lessons the main character learns are just as valid sixty years later. I really felt like I was with her as she grew and matured.
Maya Angelou
So I have been thinking about this week and how much Tuesday has thrown off my schedule. My daughter was definitely more important and I have spent as much time as I could with her for her sweet 16th. So I also kinda missed my Monday poetry by telling y’all about my family.
A conversation with a friend of mine, another author, got my mind going. There are a few women poets who have been a big influence in my life. They helped me to survive and become me. So I am going to, until I cover each of them, share information about these poets daily. Yes it is going to include the weekend. I am also going to do next week’s normal posts if I have not finished by then.
I am starting with a legend. Maya Angelou.
I feel like her voice when she finally found it was what every survivor needed. A good deal of her poetry is about being a better person, about growing into something more. She was a woman of her age, and a activist who was an example for her community. For women, for women of color, for survivors, for people who are struggling. She was all of this, and more. She used this to leave words to inspire that will continue to help those who read them.
Her writing has a very lyrical quality. You can feel the rhythm as it is read. For me, there are several of her poems that resonate. I chose the three that I love most to share here. Her autobiography is a very interesting read. She was someone worth reading.
Pattimouse 