The month of April was one filled with many days of rainy weather here in Indiana, calling to mind the often-repeated phrase in such a wet spring season: “April showers bring May flowers.” Therefore, on this first day of glorious May, perhaps Claude Monet’s painting, Spring Flowers (pictured above), will offer an appropriate preview of the beauty this fresh month and those to follow into summer have in store for all of us.
In addition, I begin the new month with a poem by John Milton, “Song on May Morning.” During this past December a variety of commentators in literary circles marked 400 years since Milton’s birth on December 9, 1608. Milton’s extensive influence over poets has been present through the past few centuries, especially apparent as the Romantic poets established a different direction in the beginning of the nineteenth century that has continued to impact literature ever since.
Indeed, William Wordsworth invoked John Milton at the start of his poem, “London, 1802,” with opening lines addressing the seventeenth-century poet: “Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour: / England hath need of thee . . ..” Wordsworth, like so many others, admired Milton’s individual perspective, his lyrical voice, his observations of nature, and his evident expressions of passion—all qualities readers can appreciate, particularly at this time of year.
In addition, I begin the new month with a poem by John Milton, “Song on May Morning.” During this past December a variety of commentators in literary circles marked 400 years since Milton’s birth on December 9, 1608. Milton’s extensive influence over poets has been present through the past few centuries, especially apparent as the Romantic poets established a different direction in the beginning of the nineteenth century that has continued to impact literature ever since.
Indeed, William Wordsworth invoked John Milton at the start of his poem, “London, 1802,” with opening lines addressing the seventeenth-century poet: “Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour: / England hath need of thee . . ..” Wordsworth, like so many others, admired Milton’s individual perspective, his lyrical voice, his observations of nature, and his evident expressions of passion—all qualities readers can appreciate, particularly at this time of year.
SONG ON MAY MORNING
Now the bright morning-star, day's harbinger,
Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose.
Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire
Mirth and youth, and warm desire;
Woods and groves are of thy dressing,
Hill and dale, doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and wish thee long.
—John Milton
3 comments:
Now that's a poem!
I think the Carol Ann Duffy poem is prose disguised as a poem.
I do apologize for the following in advance; perhaps you don't want such comments on this board, and if you don't I won't feel hurt if you remove it, but here's my thoughts on the Carol Ann Duffy poem you posted:
Place it in the form of a prose paragraph, have an 11th grader in high school put his name at the top, and hand it in to the teacher, and he would a) get a failing grade; b) expelled from school for the content; c) investigated by the police and FBI as a sociopath; and, d) then, forced into a mental health clinic until declared "safe if not necessarily sane." [He would get the failing grade for content, until the teacher realized it was written by the poet laureate from the Kingdom that produces the best writers and thinkers, and then he would get a failing grade for plagiarism.]
beatiful - Aileen Bordman
Well It was an excellent read That You begin the new month with a poem by John Milton, “Song on May Morning.” During this past December a variety of commentators in literary circles marked 400 years since Milton’s birth on December 9, 1608. Milton’s extensive influence over poets has been present through the past few centuries, especially apparent as the Romantic poets established a different direction in the beginning of the nineteenth century that has continued to impact literature ever since..
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