All that rhymes..

I am not good at writing poetry. Have always thought so. And at different points of time, have come up with different reasons as to why it is so. Let me figure this out once and for all. So, let us have a look at the poetry that has had some impact on me over the years.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening – Robert Frost – an all-time favorite because I have, in some way, internalized the last few lines. I used to have them on a poster in my room and am pretty sure all my future rooms will have them too.
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.
I also like the fact that Jawaharlal Nehru had these lines inscribed on his desk, and they were discovered after he died. I don’t particularly like the man, but I like the fact. These lines have history, they have character.

The Road not Taken – Robert Frost - for the sheer emotion behind it. I read somewhere that it is the story of his life. He chose the road less traveled. Have a look at these lines -
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
The irony and beauty of life – condensed in rhyme.

Mending Wall – Robert Frost - for the message. And because it’s funny, in a dark sort of way. The last line of the poem –
.. He says again, "Good fences make good neighbors."
Platitudes, adherence to meaningless tradition, resistance to change – mainstays of our black-box-white-noise lives.

La Belle Dame sans Merci – John Keats – The woman without any mercy. A story of intense pain, heart-wrenching agony, and all that; but also the story of supposedly-competent men losing their rocker on beholding a beautiful woman. To be fair, most men would look askance at such a woman (with her wild wild eyes and faery’s song), but some never outgrow their adolescence. And serves them right that she ain’t got no mercy!

The Walrus and the Carpenter – Lewis Carroll – Delightful! From one of my favorite books – Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Finds There. Dear readers, go read this poem, if you haven’t already. It will tickle you to the bone.

A Visit to the Dentist – Ogden Nash (could not find it online) – As I recollect,
Some pains are physical and some pains are mental
A pain that is both – is definitely the one that is dental..
Wit at its best. And I like people whose names start with an ‘O’. Just.

O Captain! My Captain! – Walt Whitman – I like this poem because it taught me the meaning of the word – Allegory. The poem is actually about Abe Lincoln and the fact that he was assassinated before he could savor the peace that prevailed in his country after the Civil war and other elements. I have always liked Abe Lincoln. There are enough inspirational stories about him and as a young impressionable girl – I would get goosebumps at the mention of them.

Mind without Fear – Rabindranath Tagore
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high – into that heaven of Freedom, let me always reside.

So what is the common factor in all this poetry? What is good poetry? Depth? Emotion? Brevity? Thought-provocative nature?

All of these perhaps. Good poetry rhymes, great poetry resonates.