What book are you reading right now?

[Srivet4]

I'm currently reading Midwives. What is everyone reading? I'd love some recommendations 😊

[Srivet4]

Aww thanks so much! I'll check it out

[mrmonk]

For a while now, I've been dipping in and out of Poetic Meter & Poetic Form by Paul Fussell, but I know that has limited appeal. Otherwise, I regularly read poems wherever I find them.

[Srivet4 in reply to mrmonk]

No, I studied literature in college. Who's your favorite poet? Mines Ezra Pound

[mrmonk in reply to Srivet4]

I'm always excited to meet someone who enjoys reading poetry! It's funny, but my favorite poets would probably be regarded as the antithesis of Ezra Pound (though, admittedly, I haven't read most of his work) -- Philip Larkin and Sir John Betjeman (my HealthUnlocked avatar) would lead the pack for me.

Are there particular poems of Pound's that you like best? To my chagrin, I can only remember "In a Station at the Metro" (because of its brevity).

I love discovering new poets and poems, whether in an anthology or online (some even in these very forums). Are there any contemporary poets you enjoy or particular collections you would recommend?

[Srivet4 in reply to mrmonk]

I'll have to check those two out, but thier names definitely sound familiar to me.

Yes, my Bible is 'personae' by Pound and my absolute favorite poem of his is 'portrait d'une femme' . He makes me feel things I've never felt. If you can fall in love with a writer, I've definitely done it 😆

I'm not much for contemporary poetry , myself, but I did really enjoy Anna Journey's 'Vulgar Remedies'. Lately I've been into reading playbooks haha.

[mrmonk in reply to Srivet4]

I hope you don't mind if I pick your brain about this, but I'm always fascinated to learn about what draws people to certain poems and poets, what connects them to the lines. When you mentioned feeling things you never felt, that really rhymed with my experiences reading poetry. For me, the connection is made through the interplay of sounds with the sense of the text; I can hear a poem almost like a piece of music in that way. I wondered how you initially connect to the poems you love most?

I will check out Vulgar Remedies -- thanks for the recommendation!

[Srivet4 in reply to mrmonk]

What connects me to the line is very similar to what connect you. I went through a time when I was an addict and stopped being able to understand regular conversations (I know it sounds odd but it happened).

Poetry was easier for me to grasp because it has a musical quality that allowed me to find the meaning beneath the words. It was almost trance-like. Ezra Pound spoke to me when no one else could.

I don't read as much poetry nowadays but it will always hold a special place in my heart and mind.

[mrmonk in reply to Srivet4]

Thank you for sharing your experience and your candor, Srivet4. I keenly identify with your description of connecting to a poem and a poet -- for me, hearing the sounds of a given poem is to hear the "sound" of feeling, which makes reading a poem such an intimate experience, as if the poet were by my side speaking directly to me.

Thinking of this connection now brings to mind lines from Song of Myself by Walt Whitman: "This hour I tell things in confidence, / I might not tell everybody, but I will tell you."

[muddypawz1]

Ok mine sounds silly but it’s actually good. “Managing Depression with CBT for Dummies” 🤣

[Srivet4 in reply to muddypawz1]

No, that's great! It sounds like an interesting read! Haha👍

[thesunwillcomeout]

I’m reading the woman in the window

[Hidden]

The Alice Network by Quinn, so far it's pretty good!

[optimuscoolbeans]

Reading an interesting book titled focusing by Eugene Gendlin. Self help book about reading your bodies feelings. Pretty interesting.

[Srivet4 in reply to optimuscoolbeans]

That sounds right up my alley! Thanks!

[AnxiousWarrior]

The second book of Game of Thrones

[Srivet4 in reply to AnxiousWarrior]

I've read them too! You're in for a treat 😉