Poetry and......

krappyrubsnif

This is a bit off the wall, but here goes anyway. I’m proposing to create a self-help, do-it-yourself poetry appreciation course in Stroud Green for 12 weeks in the New Year. This arises because my partner wants to learn a bit about poetry, which she never studied. I did lots of poetry at school and college and have a big poetry bookshelf. We can’t find a suitable evening class so I said, OK, I’d run it myself. If we can have a book club then why not a poetry appreciation club? Anyone else interested? No money involved. I thought I would draw up a list of 12 English-language poets starting in the seventeenth century (John Donne) and ending with [edit] Nobel laureate Bob Dylan, pick a couple of poems from each, circulate them in advance for reading, and take it from there. I would personally enjoy a bit of a refresher course. Minimum three people, maximum six, twelve weeks only, dates tba. Meet in the White Lion or somewhere. Just like my old school teacher’s seminars, really, except in the pub. (It could, of course, be arranged like some book clubs to meet at people’s houses and be combined with, er, wine appreciation.....) I can certainly cover some of the basics, metaphor, simile, alliteration and iambic pentameters but there may well be far wiser heads and expertise on this board. Any takers?

Arkady

I'll come if it includes the most recent winner of the Nobel prize for literature.

krappyrubsnif

Actually, a great idea Arkady!

MMF

Hello, this sounds like a great idea and if I may, I'd love to join ye. I studied a bit of poetry at school and at university but never learnt "the rules" of metre, rhyme, stress and er, whatnot (the concentration was always on the meaning and themes - nothing wrong with that but still...). I had been looking around for something similar to what you are suggesting but no luck.

krappyrubsnif

Stand by, MMF. I'll start organising.

Luirette

Funnily enough I've been helping to facilitate a group for service users at Mind in Haringey doing something very similar. It's been really interesting to do and I'd be happy to come along and explore other poets.

Mirandola

It is a lovely idea, though for small children reasons I won't be able to come. Still, here are my top 12
Donne, Auden, Larkin, Elizabeth Bishop, William Empson, Emily Dickinson, Rudyard Kipling (I know, I know, but I think he's a weird mix of over and underrated) AE Stallings, Anne Carson (for the Orestaia translation), Shelley, Byron and Dylan if I must.

Mirandola

Ae housman! What! still alive at 22/ A fine upstanding boy like you.

Arkady

Let's have some Housman as he's from my home town. Home hamlet in fact.

Sutent

I would love to come. I used to go to the poetry cafe all the time in Covent garden. Unfortunately I have to write up my PhD in the new year

conformable_kate

Nice idea but a bit too close to my day job ...

Mirandola

What is your day job?

chrish

I'd be interested

conformable_kate

@Mirandola I'm a university teacher. Primarily a historian but with a sideline in early modern literature, and was doing a class on Donne and Marvell on Monday - hence slightly jaded comment!

vetski

Sounds interesting - I don't read as much poetry as I'd like to, and there are lots I've never covered. Personal fave is Charles Causley.

krappyrubsnif

Will add that to the list..... er, have been a bit preoccupied but will contact all interested parties individually and post on progress shortly.

checkski

I read 3 poems a day, from a book wherein each calendar day has a poem attached to it. I used to just read today's, but now review yesterday's, and prepare tomorrow's as well. Each reading gets a tick, from which I discover that I have read 365 poems about 20 times. A bit pathetic, I know, but poetry left me cold when I was young, whereas I now have quite a feel for it, so I suppose it was worth it. Favourites? Yeats - but everybody likes him, don't they? Larkin (ditto). Shakespeare is pretty damned good, but I knew that already. Are Kipling and Tennyson still out of fashion? I like them too. Not very keen on Dylan Thomas. He tries too hard, it seems to me.

krappyrubsnif

Overlooked Leonard Cohen for the original list - better than Dylan?

Arkady

Not according to Cohen. But today is not the day for that argument.

krappyrubsnif

There is going to be an informal pre-meeting meeting for the poetry appreciation group this WEDNESDAY (Nov 23) in the White Lion at 8pm - just to say hello to each other, talk it through and make a plan. Open meeting - anyone who thinks they may be interested please come and look for us. I’m expecting at least four or five confirmed for Wednesday - . @chrish I sent you a message but didn’t get a reply. To the one or two unable to make it on Wednesday - sorry about this, have to start somewhere, will definitely consult you and hope to see you when we start. Provisional plan is to do an initial nine poets on Wednesday evenings starting around 4th or 11th Jan, weekly except for book club nights (i.e. 3 weeks out of 4) - the actual programme and all the other arrangements to be discussed on Wednesday. But everything (dates, times, venue) open for discussion. Completely flexible. Drop in. No money involved. Beginners and returners welcome. Fun. The White Lion is extremely supportive and they will welcome us with open arms when we start, by the way. All ideas welcome - roll up!

MMF

Great stuff. Looking forward to it.

miredinsg

I'm interested in this - haven't really read any poetry since school and can't help feeling I must be missing something. See you tonight.
Mike

Luirette

Looking forward to tonight. Is there a table booked or otherwise some way for us to easily find each other?

krappyrubsnif

There’s a fairly large table half way down on the left which looks like the obvious one, I’ll ask the pub to reserve it now. I will have a pile of books, could be a clue.

krappyrubsnif

A quick summary. Excellent informal get together! Agreed plan is to start in early January (date to be confirmed, either 4th or 11th Jan) first with Philip Larkin then Robert Frost. Will post further details later on.