OOC: Poetry Recommendations?

[watch_is_me]

So, oddly, since I've gotten into Who and started writing fic, I've also found myself reading poetry. I've always looked at poetry and gone "Pfft. Poetry. It's like, what you do if you can't write fiction." Of course, now I'm reading poetry and going "Well, hell, no, it's not the same thing at all. This is what you write to say the things you *can't* say in narrative prose." And it's lovely for providing hooks and inspiration for ideas and fiction, so far, or seems like it will/could be.

Anyway, so I've been on a Shakespeare and Walt Whitman kick recently, and have Dickinson and "The Waste Land" lying about my room, and mean to get to Wilfred Owen and Dylan Thomas, but I was wondering, for those more poetically well-read than I, any good recommendations? Any poems or poets that specifically make you think of the Doctor or of your muse? Or that are just, you know, really good?

Links to poems would be awesome!

Comments

[didnt-blink.livejournal.com]

The Waste Land is as good as any place to start with Eliot, though I would recommend The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and The Hippopotamus.

Robert Browning is a great character poet. Look for his dramatic monologues, particularly
The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed's Church, My Last Duchess and Porphyria's Lover.

I'd also recommend looking out for Sylvia Plath, particularly Morning Song and Lady Lazarus; Philip Larkin's High Windows and Friday Night in the Royal Station Hotel; I'd even suggest you hunt out a collection of Nick Cave's lyrics.

[watch-is-me.livejournal.com]

Huh, I like "The Love Song." Yeah, I picked up "The Waste Land" because it seems to be his most-referenced work, in other literature/plays/etc., and I was starting to feel Culturally Ignorant. .-.

Plath, I know I need to look into. They didn't have her at my used bookstore; silly used bookstore >:| Oh, the Larkin looks interesting--a bit snarky and dark. That can be a good combination, done right.

And Nick Cave! I just started listening to some of his music. I've enjoyed it so far.

[didnt-blink.livejournal.com]

It's sort of his Ulysses, yeah.

Welp, look out for Ariel, but make sure it's not the version edited by her daughter. Apparently no one told her the merits of drafting your work before publication.

I think snarky and dark is one of Larkin's more favourable reviews! But then, he spent the majority of his life as a librarian in Hull. Comes with the territory.

Red Right Hand, which I think is on the Bad Seeds album Let Love In really reminds me of the Doctor, particularly his darker side.

[watch-is-me.livejournal.com]

OMG, I LOVE THOSE LYRICS!1!1!!!1 *glomps* That's so spot on. ...I must listen to the actual song now. *appropriate lyrics glee*

Why, yes, I am easily enthused .-.

[didnt-blink.livejournal.com]

It's Nick Cave, enthusing is a moral obligation! If you like that song, some Tom Waits albums wouldn't go amiss!

God, I'm such a culture whore. I'll run out of recommendations one day!

[watch-is-me.livejournal.com]

I hopped to Cave from Waits. I haven't heard a lot of either, but, yeah, they're dark and rough and narrative, and I like that. It's not like much else I've listened to!

[watch-is-me.livejournal.com]

Okay, this goes right on my Watch!Ten playlist. I love this. Black coat and blood on his hands XD And that bouncy little background rhythm.