In undergraduate, my creative writing teacher in poetry said once that he would like to have an entire year to teach the poetry creative writing class. First semester the class would memorize poetry and second semester he would let us begin writing. It's been a long time for most of us since we've memorized a poem (though if Ted is your father, I think that isn't so true). It might be a good month to try it. It's good for your mind to challenge it every so often.
Others, at fancy places like the New York Times, are suggesting that you do the same. I'm not sure that memorizing poetry will suddenly make jogging pleasurable, but I am confident it will improve your writing.
So here's the poem my mother made us all memorize:
Fire and Ice by Robert Frost
And here's one for Holdie:
How to Play Night Baseball by Jonathan Holden
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5 comments:
OK! I'm starting with A Prayer in Spring by Frost.
There's just something about Fire and Ice--it has the surface satisfaction of a well-written poem and the many after thoughts about the meanings. I love that poem!
I took my own advice and chose "somewhere i have never traveled" by cummings... not sure that i should have chosen something so romantic, but lines of it go through my mind and i might as well keep them in order.
anon-- you should memorize it. and i totally agree.
I heard him read that one a few months back and I was really blown away. (Holden, obviously, not Frost.) He just came alive in a way that I'd never seen him before.
I think this month I will memorize Pound's "A Station in the Metro" ...done.
Yeah, holden can surprise you like that.
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