‘Ode to a Nightingale’ was admired by contemporary critics and reviewers of Keats’s work. According to one account it was written by Keats under a plum tree in the garden of Keats House, London in May 1819. Keats was inspired by hearing the sound of birdsong and penned this poem in praise of the nightingale. Like ‘Bright Star’ it is a brilliant poem about mortality and the lure of death and escape. F. Scott Fitzgerald took the phrase ‘tender is the night’ from this poem and used it as the title for his 1934 novel.

I have recently launched a book of poetry, together with fellow South African, Kim Blades. In celebration of this achievement which I have been working on for the past five years, I have decided to host a Poetry Readathon on my blog starting on 1 December 2018 and ending on 15 January 2019.

Part 1 of the Poetry Readathon will comprise of reading and reviewing poetry books. I have selected eight books below for you to choose from if you would like to participate.  You can link to my post and I will share your review on my blog and to my Facebook poetry sharing page as well as other social media.

Part 2 of the Poetry Readathon will comprise posts introducing you to some of the poetry bloggers who don’t have books but who write wonderful poetry and share it on their blogs. If you are a poetry blogger and…

Leaves swish, like water
As I walk through
Them to reach the park. ‘Tis true
Autumn is still here,
Yet, I fear that winter will give no quarter,
For each season does murder it’s daughter,
Who dies not but rather sleeps
And creeps
Forth to softly kill
Her father who will
Rise once more.

As it was before
So it will remain. The perpetual cycle
Of the seasons, a vital order does bring.
Spring
Follows winter stern.
Buds return
And soon,
Come summer, flowers will bloom.
Autumn imperceptibly doth replace
Summer’s flushed face,
While the Fall’s slow decay
Whispers “winter is on his way”.