This post is just an effort to put some of my favorite poems at one place. I will list some lines from the first two poems and leave links for other poems so that everyone can take a look.
1. Robert Frost’s memorable lines “… miles to go before I sleep“ from Stopping… have always inspired me. These lines have a message of hope, enthusiasm and vitality. The natural imagery, description of sounds and the rhythm create an almost magical effect.
Frost’s Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening:
…
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
2. Another all-time favorite is Rudyard Kipling’s If. Although Kipling’s opinions and overall legacy are a matter of debate, there is no denying the beauty of precious wisdom that he managed to convey through If.
IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
…..
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
…..
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
….
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
Other poems that I’ve liked a lot include:
3. The Road Not Taken — Robert Frost
4. I’m Nobody. Who Are You? — Emily Dickinson
5. Hope — Emily Dickinson
6. If You Forget Me — Pablo Neruda
7. Haiku (Frog) — Basho
8. Tonight I Can Write the Saddest Lines — Pablo Neruda
9. Risk — Anais Nin
10. Auguries of Innocence — William Blake
When it comes to humour, one must take a look at the works of Ogden Nash and Spike Milligan. Milligan has also written some cute, mushy verses like this one:
If I could write words
Like leaves on an autumn forest floor,
What a bonfire my letters would make.
If I could speak words of water,
You would drown when I said
“I love you.”
—
Are there any writers that you especially like? Which poems are your favorites?
P.S. — To conclude, below is the first stanza of hope:
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune–without the words,
And never stops at all…
– Emily Dickinson
P.P.S — Recommended by Vidya: Poems of Margaret Atwood
Recommended by Dhaarini: Desiderata
http://www.fleurdelis.com/desiderata.htm &
Considering the Snail
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/considering-the-snail/
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sheep ++
I love them and many of the ones you have mentioned are my favourites too…
you have left out two:
Desiderata
http://www.fleurdelis.com/desiderata.htm and
Considering the Snail
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/considering-the-snail/
Thanks, I just saw this. 2 gems. Thanks for pointing out!
I love Neruda’s work, so glad to see it included here. (‘Love is so short / forgetting is so long’ – simple, yet powerful lines).
Although I haven’t read much of her work, I have always liked the poetry of Margaret Atwood.
If you’re interested: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/margaret_atwood/poems
Vi, Thanks for pointing me to Atwood. I have never read her work before, but really enjoyed reading ‘You Begin’ ( http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/margaret_atwood/poems/321 ).
She’s from Toronto, it seems… i hope i meet her some day
[...] Poems II A few days back, I posted some of my favorite poems. Now is the time to append that list with stuff suggested by others, and some that I mistakenly [...]