Here I am again, trying to do a poetry poll.

and i got to vote first! I've really become interested in older Indian Love Poetry. I believe Gautum posted a translation of a beautiful one about a year ago - I've been reading it ever since.

Well, for me the choice was twixt four;
And I'm glad there weren't many more.
Though the choosing was hard,
I put me sixpence on the bard,
And by doggies, I tied up the score!

2 voters and 3 votes - how did we do that?


and i was worried that i wasn't offering enough choices!

Hi ehBeth!! -- I voted for the current period in North America. My preferences are not necessarily limited to North America, however. I love to hear new poetry, especially when it reflects a current new awareness.

Preference for current poetry noted, Peace and Love. I'm really glad that people are adding comments here and in the corresponding 'gender' poll.

ehBeth, I love contemporary poetry, especially dark and gloomy stuff, like Philip Larkin. But I voted for Shakespeare's era, as he is my own true love.

But there are many poets I see on the side (don't tell the Bard..) and some of them are, gasp!, women. Don't let the word get around that I'm seeing EBB or ED or some of those gals.

Loved Poe and Emily Dickenson, as a younger person. I really have not gotten "into" poetry for many years. I see that there are a lot of people on Able2Know who are involved with poetry. So I think that I will evesdrop. Maybe I can learn something from you all!

Kara and Phoenix - thanks for the input. The Raven's Realm was well known as a forum for poets and lovers of poetry. I think we will see some interesting original poetry and learn about some much-loved poetry (and hear debates about the merits of both) as this site develops.

I voted N. American to the 50s. I hate to be limited in my choices, but after all it's just a poll. I love Poe, Dickenson, Longfellow, Whitman, Robinson and dozens more. A type of poetry seemingly not very popular on here is typified by the Ginsburg poem "Howl". I love it very much.

Edgar, would you please post the Ginsburg poem? I don't recall if I've read that one.

I, too, love N. American poetry and will pick up a Robinson or e e cummings work just for inspiration.

I wouldn't know how to get it here without typing it and it's much too long. Here is a link:
http://168.16.169.58/allen_ginsburgs_howl.htm

N American poets 1901-present

I think I'd like some poems from each of these categories.

Thanks again for the input. I needed to get a sense of direction in setting up sub-categories for this forum. This is very useful. The poll was really set up as something to react to - create a bit of thought and discussion. I wasn't thinking that I'd just set up the 2 top-ranked types of poetry as categories here - really just a starting point for discussion. So fear not - the door is very open for all types of poetry to share and explore.

I know that as a result of talking to Piffka about ESVM, I've gone out and picked up a collection of her works. I'd had a few examples in poetry anthologies, but nothing focussed on ESVM. I learned I have non-anthology taste in ESVM. I like her much more now that I've had the opportunity to read less 'popular' works.

Vote?
Do you get only one vote, or can you vote for all? b

How about one vote - and then a comment?

We're going to put the poetry into categories so that we will have less of the one quote threads - they're a bit of a problem for the forums to deal with.

Perhaps while we're figuring out some general categories to use, people who anticipate posting a number of their favourite poems could do as Setanta did - start a thread featuring their favourite poems - maybe add a new one each day to the continuing thread.

That would be really helpful for me while I get a handle on this forum editing thing. A number of people have suggested it also makes it easier to read things here at A2K - fewer threads, with more posts.

Okay, I'm already sort of doing that with ESVM. Uhhh, is there any way to fix my subject line... I tried to put it in color... but it didna work and instead added some garbled syntax.

piffka - i think you can go back to the first post - hit edit and then edit everything including the title - let me give it a quick run here (i know that i could go back and edit the poll after i'd submitted this thread)

and thanks for doing that with your Edna St. Vincent Millay - i think it's going to help make the poetry forum more of a discussion forum instead of just a list of poems - a much better use of the bandwidth.