When you were in school, did a poem change your direction?

Question

*****

EL DORADO

by Edgar Allen Poe

Gaily bedight,

A gallant night

In sunshine and in shadow,

Had journeyed long,

Singing a song,

In search of El Dorado.

But he grew old —

This knight so bold —

And — o'er his heart a shadow

Fell as he found

No spot of ground

That looked like El Dorado.

And, as his strength

Failed him at length,

He met a pilgrim shadow —

"Shadow," said he,

"Where can it be —

This land of El Dorado?"

"Over the Mountains

Of the Moon,

Down the Valley of the Shadow,

Ride, boldly ride,"

The shade replied —

"If you seek for El Dorado."

*****

Answer 1

Every week there was a new one. They were all in French, at the time...

One of my favourites is Gérard de Nerval, El Desdichado (El Dorado reminded me of this):

I am the dark one, the widower, the unconsoled,

The prince of Aquitaine whose tower is destroyed:

My only star is dead, and my constellated lute

Bears the black sun of the Melancholy.

In the night of the Tomb, You who consoled me,

Give me back Mount Posilipo and the Italian sea,

The flower my desolate heart liked so much,

And the trellis where the grapevine unites with the rose.

Am I Amor or Phoebus?.... Lusignan or Biron?

My forehead is still red from the kiss of the queen;

I have dreamed in the grotto where the Mermaid swims...

And two times victorious I have crossed Acheron:

Modulating turn by turn on the lyre of Orpheus

The moans of the Saint and the screams of the Fairy.

And since you are talking about Poe, I also loved Mallarmé's sonnet to Poe. It is there: http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=66...

Mallarmé had translated Poe's poems into French.  

Answer 2

Mary had a little lamb.

Answer 3

"Hi!",

I have only just started getting into poetry. I wrote my first poem at 16 but never realy read any poem unless it was an English asignment.

Lovely Poem.

WELL DONE!

Cheers : )

Answer 4

Two, actually. The first poem I ever read was The Road Not Taken, by Frost. That one spoke so deeply to me that I took a left turn from my life and have never looked back. The other was A Dream by Poe. It, too spoke of things undone, and not looking back. Both, in different ways, taught me two of the most important lessons I have ever had.

Answer 5

OMG Elaine!! Snap and I do mean SNAP!

I had a Treasury of Children's Illustrated Poetry book (the title may not be accurate) when I was young. (Hardback 2 inches thick,heavy as) that I adored. The opening poem was Chaucer's Cantebury Tales and I think it ended in quoting 60s song writers like Bob Dylan etc.

My absolute favourite poem was the galloping "Highwayman" poem. The rhythm and description and romance of it just had me from the word go. Without even looking at that link:  "he'd a french ****** hat at his forehead, bunch of lace at his chin, coat of claret velvet and breeches of brown doe skin" (not accurate but close) I could just see this handsome guy.

I don't have that book anymore - if anyone has a copy I would be prepared to pay handsomely for it.

The book inspired my love of words and that poem gave me an appreciation for fine poetic storytelling.

Answer 6

"Nothing Gold can Stay", Robert Frost at age 11

Answer 7

I guess it may be cliche, but when I was in High School I read the poem By WH Auden (Funeral Blues)

These two lines always stick with me:

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods

Just the way to describe something so simple in nature in such a different way

I know it is about something other the death of a loved one, but the poem has always been so haunting and inspired me to take things and describe them in a more unique way

Answer 8

Poe is all I know

As a child I grow

The pit,

The pendulum,

The orange

Orangutan,

Other than that I was surrounded by a wall

Erected by the masons Rodger, David, d**k, and Nick.

And Swarmed by Beatles.

Abbey Road is where all my early musings were recorded.

Then one day I met Dante and learned I was born the day Jim Morrison died.

Answer 9

ridin' down the highway

goin' to a show

stop in all the byways

playin' rock 'n' roll

gettin' robbed

gettin' stoned

gettin' beat up

broken boned

gettin' had

gettin' took

I tell you folks it's harder than it looks

it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll

it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll

if you think it's easy doin' one night stands

try playin' in a rock roll band

it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll

hotel motel

make you wanna cry

ladies do the hard sell

know the reason why

gettin' old

gettin' grey

gettin' ripped off

under-paid

gettin' sold

second hand

that's how it goes playin' in a band

it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll

it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll

if you wanna be a star of stage and screen

look out it's rough and mean

it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll

it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll

it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll

it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n' roll

well it's a long way

it's a long way, you should've told me

it's a long way

such a long way

Hey it changed me

Answer 10

LOL! Nothing as dignified as yours....more like:

(Blues Brothers)

Rollin' rollin' rollin'

Though the streams are swollen

Keep them doggies rollin'

Rawhide

Rain and wind and weather

"h**l bent for leather

Wishing my (guy) was by my side

All the things I'm missin'

Good vittles, love and kissin'

Are waiting at the end of my ride

Move 'em on (Head 'em up)

Head 'em up (Move 'em on)

Move 'em on (Head 'em up)

Rawhide

Cut 'em out (Ride 'em in)

Ride 'em in (Cut 'em out)

Cut 'em out

Ride 'em in

Rawhide

(I don't know how that got in my head...I was going to go with "Desperado" here)

Answer 11

"The Highwayman" --Alfred Noyes

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-highw...