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

[brigadiertardis.livejournal.com]

This is my absolute favourite Dylan Thomas poem ever in the history of ever. It's so hauntingly beautiful and just ousbogusg I love it so.

And for all things Dylan Thomas, there's always here and here.

I'm a huge fan of John Donne and Robert Frost, both of whom I believe you are familiar, but there's also William Cullen Bryant whose "Thanatopsis" is always a good inspiration, and e.e. cummings has some good stuff, too.

There are so many more I can talk about but I shall leave you with these. Oh, and Alfred Tennyson~.

[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.

[goodathart.livejournal.com]

I'll admit, I like newer poetry, and don't really focus on particular writers very much. When I look for a poem, I want it very dynamic, something that's gripping when read aloud. Most of my poetry books are anthologies. So I'll recommend my favorites of those first, then get specific!

Poetry International 7/8 is a great book of poetry, all originally written in English so there's not anything lost in translation. Lots of different subject material; definitely plenty to choose from. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find most of the poems online. But it's only like six bucks, used, on Amazon. New, when I bought it, I paid $12. Really, it's worth it.

The Beat Book is also a good one, full of poems that are very adamant about meaning something. Lots of fun with formatting, again with the multitude of subjects as diverse as the writers, etc. Diane di Prima and Allen Ginsberg are my favorites, of those represented there.

Poets Against the War is fairly obvious in what it contains, but some of it, like Suicide Note are worth it, even if you're not into that sort of thing. The site with the poem is also the book's website, and has several other poems from its contents featured.

Listen Up! is spoken word poetry. All very new, very fun. Best read aloud to yourself, I tend to think.

Red Sky at Night is British Socialist poetry. Very the Doctor, I think.

Fable (top poem in the link) is great, heart-breaking. It can be found in Holocaust Poetry, along with a lot of other very inspirational work that could be very relatable to the Doctor.

As for recommending writers, I can only do so with one not previously mentioned; Stephen Berg. I have his New and Selected Poems, which is mostly just about life. Very good.

[tingle-of-life.livejournal.com]

I love this book to pieces.

The writer also goes by Jaida Jones, and she currently has a book of Fantasy fiction out called Havemercy, along with her co-author Dani Bennett. They are magnificent. I haven't had a chance to read the book yet, but Jaida is one-half of the duo that writes the Shoebox Project and Dani is a delightful person.

BUT YES the poetry book is love.