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A review by thebookaddictedgirl
Poems on the Underground by Gerard Benson, Cicecy Herbert, Judith Chernaik
I was given this to read, to get more in touch with poetry. I had loads of fun reading it: I just dipped in and out, reading poems. There was a huge variety, from Shakespeare to Ted Hughes to William Blake to Maya Angelou. My favourite though had to be W. H. Auden's Song, which I remember from Four Weddings and a Funeral. In case you don't know it, this is the poem:
"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog for, barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good."
I honestly can't read this poem without choking up. It's so beautiful and sad.
Not all of the poems are about death though, so don't worry. The poems will make you laugh and smile and think. They're about love, death, life, everything you can think of really. Just an all-round amazing set of poems: really well rounded. Definitely recommended.
"Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog for, barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good."
I honestly can't read this poem without choking up. It's so beautiful and sad.
Not all of the poems are about death though, so don't worry. The poems will make you laugh and smile and think. They're about love, death, life, everything you can think of really. Just an all-round amazing set of poems: really well rounded. Definitely recommended.