When I hear men
Building a wall
I recall Robert Frost.
But the cost
Of this perimeter wall
Falls to me
And I must say
That all my poetry
Will not pay
For walls.
Therefore I am glad
That I have
Some time
For more than rhyme!
Robert Frost is one of my favourite poets so, in honour of November, I am posting a reading of Frost’s My November Guest on Youtube
Robert Frost – My November Guest
The below podcast contains recordings of a number of poets reading their work. Among those included are Robert Frost reading his beautiful and much anthologised poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, and Dorothy Parker reciting a number of her poems. Also included are 2 of my own poems from my collection “The Churchyard Yew and Other Poems”: “Birds on a March Evening” and “Sitting on this Fallen log”. Both poems are read by the show’s host Victor Schwartzman.
To listen to the podcast please visit World Poetry Cafe July 4 Victor and Old Poets by VictorSchwartzman | Mixcloud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-2AWegHHqc
It being the first of November, I thought that I would post one of my favourite poems, my November Guest by Robert Frost.
Frost was a New England poet. However, given that he spent some time in England and was friends with the English poet Edward Thomas, I think we English can also lay claim to Frost’s wonderful poetry. No brickbats from my American readers for laying claim to Robert Frost please!
You can find My November Guest in Frost’s A Boy’s Will.
I have no wish to leave
These dark trees.
I drink
The fresh summer air.
For a moment forget my care
And think
On Frost’s poetry,
That o’re shadows me
Reading Frost as night falls.
The poet calls
To me, from the previous century.
“Relevant?” Yes, but how I hate that word
For is not the song of bird
Or getting lost midst the dark tree
Simply beauty in poetry,
Part of Frost’s heart
Which lives on in me
As I sit in this darkening
Room, hearkening to Robert’s poetry?
Yesterday evening (Sunday 26 November), found me contentedly sitting on the sofa in my living room, reading a recently purchased braille edition of Robert Frost’s “North of Boston”, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3026/3026-h/3026-h.htm. On turning to the final poem in “North of Boston”, which is entitled “Good Hours” https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/good-hours, I came across the word profanation.
Being wholly unfamiliar with the word I was keen to ascertain its meaning. I had, however turned off my computer (quite deliberately as I wished to spend the remainder of Sunday evening reading, undisturbed by technology). I do not own a braille dictionary (they are, to my knowledge no longer produced as blind users can access online dictionaries), consequently the only way in which I would have been able to find the definition of profanation would have been by turning on my computer or looking up the word using the search engine on my mobile phone, (both devices are equipped with screen readers which convert text into speech and braille).
To cut a long story short, due to my unwillingness to succumb to the demon of technology, I left my curiosity unsatisfied until this evening (Monday 27 November).
I spend much of my life engaging with technology. My job entails the use of a computer Monday through to Friday, while my poetry is written using a laptop. Consequently I relish time away from electronic gadgetry, hence my disinclination to engage with technology yesterday evening.
I do, of course recognise the value of online reference books. Language is constantly evolving and it is not always convenient to lug a heavy dictionary around with one. However, when writing it is easy to go to one of the many online dictionaries, only to get caught up with online distractions such as webmail, social media etc. Had I the choice, I would not go online while writing but would rely on a good old-fashioned paper dictionary. However given the absence of braille dictionaries (as explained above) I have no option other than to use the internet. I will, however continue to avoid the temptation to go online during my leisure time, while reading for pleasure. We all, in my view benefit when we take a break from the World Wide Web and technology more generally.
Incidentally, for anyone interested in ascertaining the meaning of profanation, Merriam-Webster defines it as follows:
“the act or an instance of profaning”, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profanation
Yesterday evening, I took down Robert Frost’s “A Boy’s Will” from my bookshelves and spent a delightful hour or so leafing through it. “A Boy’s Will” contains many wonderful poems, one of my favourites being “A Late Walk” which can be found here, http://www.bartleby.com/117/5.html. If you are unfamiliar with the work of Frost, I highly recommend reading “A Boy’s Will”.
K Morris - Poet 