THE NATTY HAT COMPETITION.
The Literary Giveaway Blog Hop is an amazing event taking place from Saturday June 25th and running until Wednesday June 29th (Inclusive), and it is being hosted by Judith (Leeswammes' Blog). The idea is that “If you’ve been wanting to give away a book to your readers, maybe to show your appreciation or because you have a special celebration, this is your chance to join up with others”. Now I’ve been blogging for just over a year now and during that time I have entered 10,0000000000000000000000000000000000 giveaways, hmm that might be a slight exaggeration, but a lot and I’ve even won a few. So of late I have been feeling a little guilty, feeling that I should be contributing not just take, take, take. So here goes, now, if you just lightly peruse this site, you may notice my love of poetry and, in that spirit, anyone who leaves a favourite poem - just the name & writer (although if you want to poetry spam me with a complete poem, I will love you forever) - will be entered into a natty hat, juggled in a convincing manner & one will be picked by my able & glamorous (so she tells me) assistant (My 10 year old daughter). So to kick this giveaway off, I will post a poem by one of my favourite poets……..
Green Man.
Four small nouns I put to pasture,
Lambs of cloud on a green paper.
My love leans like a beadle at her book,
Her smile washes the seven cities.
.
I am the spring’s greenest publicity,
And my poem is all wrist and elbow
O I am not daedal and need wings,
My oracle kisses a black wand.
.
One great verb I dip in ink
For the tortoise who carries the earth:
A grammar of fate like the map of china,
Or as wrinkles sit in the palm of a girl.
.
I enter my poem like a son’s house.
The ancient thought is: nothing will change,
But the nouns are back in the bottle,
I ache and she is warm, was warm, is warm.
Lawrence Durrell.
So now it’s over to you, just introduce me to your favourite Poem & its writer, to gain your place in the Natty Hat (pictured above).
Just because this is one of my current favourites
Amour
SHE SAID I was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Not true.
I was a lamb, in armour.
Brian Patten.
- And the give away is “Being Human” published by Bloodaxe Poetry this is the latest in what has been a fantastic collection of Anthologies, that started with “Staying Alive” and was followed up by “Being Alive”
The range of poetry here complements that of the first two anthologies: hundreds of thoughtful and passionate poems about living in the modern world; poems that touch the heart, stir the mind and fire the spirit; poems about being human, about love and loss, fear and longing, hurt and wonder. There are more great poems from the 20th century as well as many recent poems of rare imaginative power from the first decade of the 21st century. But this book is also rare in reflecting the concerns of readers from all walks of life. Such has been the appeal of Staying Alive and Being Alive that many people have written not only to express their appreciation of these books, but also to share poems which have been important in their own lives. Being Human draws on this highly unusual publisher's mailbag.
Here are a few opinions on the two previous anthologies
‘These poems distil the human heart as nothing else… Staying Alive celebrates the point of poetry. It’s invigorating and makes me proud of being human’ – Jane Campion
‘Truly startling and powerful poems’ – Mia Farrow
‘Staying Alive is a magnificent anthology. The last time I was so excited, engaged and enthralled by a collection of poems was when I first encountered The Rattle Bag. I can’t think of any other anthology that casts its net so widely, or one that has introduced me to so many vivid and memorable poems’ –Philip Pullman
‘Usually if you say a book is “inspirational” that means it’s New Agey and soft at the centre. This astonishingly rich anthology, by contrast, shows that what is edgy, authentic and provocative can also awaken the spirit and make its readers quick with consciousness. In these pages I discovered many new writers, and I’ve decided I’m now in love with our troublesome epoch if it can produce poems of such genius’ – Edmund White
‘A vibrant, brilliantly diverse anthology of poems to delight the mind, heart and soul. A book for people who know they love poetry, and for people who think they don’t’ – Helen Dunmore
‘This is a book to make you fall in love with poetry…Go out and buy it for everyone you love’ – Christina Patterson, Independent
‘Anyone who has the faintest glimmer of interest in modern poetry must buy it. If I were master of the universe or held the lottery’s purse strings, there would be a copy of it in every school, public library and hotel bedroom in the land. On page after page I found myself laughing, crying, wondering, rejoicing, reliving, wishing, envying. It is a book full of hope and high art which restores your faith in poetry’ –Alan Taylor, Sunday Herald
‘The book is without equal as a handbook for students and readers’ – Sian Hughes, Times Educational Supplement
‘I don’t often read poetry, so Staying Alive was a revelation’ –Ian Rankin, Sunday Telegraph(Books of the Year)
‘A book that travels everywhere with me… It is full of beautiful writing that can blow your mind’ –Beth Orton, The Times.
‘I love Staying Alive and keep going back to it. Being Alive is just as vivid… But this new book feels even more alive – I think it has a heartbeat’ – Meryl Streep
pomes ALL SIZES
Some Sources of Inspiration.
@pomesallsizes
The Poetry society(UK)
The Poetry Archive
See & Hear(Griffin Poetry Prize Site)
Poets. Org( From the Academy of American Poets)
Day Poems
Famous poets & Poems
Poem Hunter
Poetry.Com
Poetry Society (USA)
Poet Seers
Poetry foundation
A Link To My Fellow Bookfiends & Bloggers.