I recently watched a talk Coach John Wooden gave and noticed how much poetry he had memorized. I think it would be a good way to make myself more well-rounded and I was curious what you all think a man should have in his poetry repertoire. 

I have always liked Invictus but I feel like it's not quite as special anymore because more people know it from the movie.

Views: 609

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

I think it does men good to at least find and memorize a few poems he feels express sentiments he agrees with, or articulate a reaction to a subject close to his own feelings, or is just beautiful.

A few poems I memorized through love, not effort - in no particular order:

Thanatopsis, by William Cullen Bryant

One Foot In Eden, by Edwin Muir

Ashrei Ha-Gafrur (Blessed Is The Match) By Hannah Szenes

The Hangman by Maurice Ogden (Well, almost know this one by heart - it's a bit long)

The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes

I'm sure I'll think of more. 

Excellent post. Thank you.

Jules: There's a passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon you." Now... I been sayin' that shit for years. And if you ever heard it, that meant your ass. You'd be dead right now. I never gave much thought to what it meant. I just thought it was a cold-blooded thing to say to a motherfucker before I popped a cap in his ass. But I saw some shit this mornin' made me think twice. See, now I'm thinking: maybe it means you're the evil man. And I'm the righteous man. And Mr. 9mm here... he's the shepherd protecting my righteous ass in the valley of darkness. Or it could mean you're the righteous man and I'm the shepherd and it's the world that's evil and selfish. And I'd like that. But that shit ain't the truth. The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd.

+1 Tell that bitch "Be Cool!"

Go back to the beginning. Start with the Iliad and Odyssey, and start working your way forward from there.

Take a look at Yeats' "The Second Coming" or Agee's "Sure on this Shining Night".

1. Kublai Khan

2. Anything by Edward Lear

If you want soemthing more meaningful, then either stop looking for meaning in the art of arranging words nicely, or just write a poem yourself. I found Stephen Fry's book on writing poetry very good, but I've never looked in any other book on it.

Here is one of my favorite poems. I learned it in American Lit. during high school--50 years ago. I've used the wisdom of these 4 lines with great success over the past half century.

Davis

"He drew a circle that shut me out.

 Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout

 But love and I had the wit to win,

 We drew a circle that shut him in."

Edwin Markham (1852-1940

Good suggestion.

Remember there are a ton of great contemporary poets as well.  You don't have to only read stuff from the 19th century. 

My favorite contemporary poets:

Billy Collins

Todd Boss

Dorianne Laux

Michael Dickman

Matthew Dickman

and there are plenty more

"Spring has sprung,
the grass has gris,
I wonder where
the birdies is."

Anything by Rudyard Kipling

I do believe he could do without Danny Deever.

RSS

Latest Activity

Liam S. replied to Herb Munson's discussion The Primacy and Existence of God in the group The Great Debate
"Without defining a bit more what schools you think would qualify, you are going to be subject to the worst assumptions about you actually mean. I still don't see how hoping/praying a tornado will rip a school apart can in any way be construed…"
3 minutes ago
Aaron Lancaster joined Stephen Farrar's group
Thumbnail

The Armed Forces

This group is for all AoM readers who have an association with the armed forces, be it past, present, or future. If you served in a branch of the military yourself, please tell us about your experiences and what the military has meant for your life.See More
5 minutes ago
Herb Munson replied to Herb Munson's discussion The Primacy and Existence of God in the group The Great Debate
"I said,, "for some schools" not that school. Actually, by that statement I was hoping to stimulate a bit of creative thinking about the sovereignty and goodness of God in such situations."
6 minutes ago
Aaron Lancaster joined Andrioux's group
Thumbnail

Teachers' Club (for men in Education)

Virtual staff room for visionary teachers of every discipline. This is a good place for educators to discuss their collective role in society--particularly in regards to their duty as role models for young men. What does it mean to be a male role model for young boys in the classroom? How can we serve them best? See More
8 minutes ago
Profile IconAaron Lancaster and Anthony Allen C. joined Herb Munson's group
Thumbnail

The Great Debate

"Iron sharpens iron." A place for men to impact each other by debate and exchange of ideas. This is a group where no ideas are off limits. If your motto is, "I never talk about politics or religion," this group is probably not for you. A "gym" for thinkers.See More
9 minutes ago
Aaron Lancaster posted a discussion

Gday from New Zealand

Gday Im in my 30's and reside in Auckland. I found this site by accident but love it already.I'm into Scuba (particularly wreck diving), photography, hunting, dogs and going bush (not sure what you call it but over here means going feral and living in the bush (forest) like a Neanderthal for a little while).I am also partial to a fine cigar and the occasional glass of Laphroaig 10 year old. CheersAzzaSee More
12 minutes ago
Herb Munson left a comment for Anthony Allen C.
"Hey there Anthony, welcome to The Great Debate. Great to have you with us. "
13 minutes ago
Dallas the Phallus commented on Caddy's group Philology: A Group for Verbivores
"GIF creator: It's pronounced JIF!"
18 minutes ago

© 2013   Created by Brett McKay.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service