Poetry

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A community for discussion and sharing of poetry.

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"The More Loving One" by W. H. Auden (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/poetry

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This poem is a bit formal in nature, but I still think it fits the vibe. Just wanted to share! :)

Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.

How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.

Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.

Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.

— W. H. Auden

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Incidentally, I feel like I know absolutely bupkis about poetry as a whole. I'm entirely unschooled. All I do know comes from the anthologies I've collected and my own feeble attempts to write it. Lol.

I'm always extraordinarily happy to share it, and even happier to talk about it in my naïve way.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That’s how I learned a lot of the things I know too.

I did have a poetry fling in my teenage years and some books from then and a few badly written poems of my own. I mostly read anthologies, trying to find what I liked. I think I may still have one of those in my bookstash, though I’ve had to clean out my books a few times before ebooks made things simpler.

I seem to remember a high school aged me writing once decades ago about inertia having a hold on me.

I think I may go look for that anthology and see what struck me. Maybe join poetry and see you around:)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's wonderful!

I don't mean to soapbox, but if I may be so bold, I think poetry is valuable to everyone. It's a universal language, if not in words, in feeling. You can go find poetry written by those in ancient Assyria, Babylon, or Tyre, for example, and the human condition they discuss is the same as today! It's cathartic, in a way, to realize—really realize—that people are just people, no matter their era, society, or age.

If you don't manage to find that anthology, this website has a list of the most famous (in their opinion) English poems: https://discoverpoetry.com/poems/100-most-famous-poems/

Feel free to message me anytime if you'd like recommendations, discussions about a piece in particular, or just have questions about poetry in general! I probably won't have any answers, but I'll try. Lol.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Thanks, I will. I felt silly even saying the name because it was a very teenager like poem. But poetry seems like a wonderful way to express emotions, and with how hectic, disjointed the world is know I think we all bottle up so much.

Take care Scaldart :)