Tuesday, August 17, 2010

poetry contest

So what do you win if you correctly guess the poems besides the smashing title of "poetry scholar"? Isn't that enough? Or maybe "poetry expert" would be more to your liking. With a snazzy description like that, you will fit right in with all of the celebrities putting these types of titles after their names.

Lately, I was thumbing through bon appetite magazine and slapped my eyes on, Gwyneth Paltrow actress, lifestyle guru. Not sure what that means, exactly. Perhaps I could say of my daughter- student, organic gardener. She will be going into the fourth grade, and did in fact coax out not a few watermelons this summer.

But I digress, back to the prize. The proud winner of this contest will receive a lovely blue hardback of English Romantic Poetry and Prose. This gem contains not only quite a few selections from Keats, it also features Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott, Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron and lots more.

This book has had a previous owner, and therefore has acquired some character all its own. She wrote a note after the title The Sensitive Plant (a poem by Shelley). Her pencil marking reads, is Shelley. So now it says, The Sensitive Plant is Shelley. Am I the only one who thinks this is funny?

There is also a stanza near the back of the book by a Winthrop Mackworth Praed (I don't believe I've had the pleasure.) entitled Stanzas on Seeing the Speaker Asleep in His Chair. Does that not sound great or what?

However, before I get all carried away, I must tell you that there is to be a tie breaker. The winners are, Lydia and Drew, Anna, and Bess. So winners, look over the two poems below and cast your votes again. Attribute one poem to each author or both poems to one. Hopefully, this time to break the tie.

#1
I watched a steady flame up-climb the sky-

(A flame no doing, surely, of my own)
And linger like a sunset in your eye,
(For love it is not possible to own).
If I could climb the jade-bright hills of Mourne,
I might have once wished you forever young
To bring a cup of dew out well forlorn,
For once I wanted beauty, ever sung.
Somewhere twixt a draught of Lethe's cup
'Tween air the honeysuckle tints with sleep,
I caught your sunrise going dancing up,
Now new morn, sleepless nights and days to keep.
I listen for this faerie tune you weave,
Just as you are, the one to never leave.


#2
Time's sea has been five years at its slow ebb,

Long hours have to and fro let creep the sand,
Since I was tangled in thy beauty's web,
And snared by the ungloving of thy hand.
And yet I never look in midnight sky,
But I behold thine eyes' well memoried light;
I cannot look upon the roses dye,
But to thy cheek my soul doth take its flight;
I cannot look on any budding flower,
But my fond ear, in fancy at thy lips,
And hearkening for a love-sound, doth devour
Its sweets in the wrong sense: - Thou dost eclipse
Every delight with sweet remembering,
And grief unto my darling joys dost bring.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm going w/ Keats as #1 and Von Gladden as #2. (And as I recall he always has been. Sometimes 2 can really be 1, but not in this case.)

Bess said...

Definitely Matthew Von Gladden wrote #1 and Keats wrote #2. Bring it on Lydrew. :-)

Lydia said...

Now Bess, even a blind squirrel (or an iron deprived one) finds an acorn once in a while. So, though your guess may be correct, I chalk it up to the fact you had a 1in4 chance. However, it is the VG for #1 and the big K for #2. Sincerely, Drew
PS. However, there is dissension among the ranks and my wife would like to attribute both these fine works to the VG. I have reminded her though that she is the weaker and my vote stands.

Bess said...

When I associate myself with a squirrel, Over the Hedge comes to mind closely follwed by Hoodwinked. I have a monopoly on acorns although it makes me a little nuts. Game on!