I always hated poetry. Not even mildly but with a proper heartfelt passion. I somewhat prematurely wrote it off as pretentious and since the dreaded days of GCSE and A-Level English I have refused to revisit the poetry we were forced to study. But then out of nowhere I found myself searching out poems to read, I have even become partial to writing the odd (extremely amateur) poem. I think what I enjoy about a poem is the brevity at which a story can be told. As little as half a dozen words can demand attention, evoke emotion and create a whole new world. They are a reminder that a handful of words can speak louder than 300 long pages full to the brim. I like how a poem can be an unintelligible jumble of words yet make so much sense. You can see in a poem what you want, it is open to interpretation and I suppose that is why I have learnt to love them.
So, I popped into my local Waterstones with the view of kickstarting a poetry collection. I went for names that I recognised and I am going in completely blind so I am not really sure what to expect. I think what I really need is some kind of poetry anthology and I will be on the hunt for one. But in the mean time, these will have to do.
Tales from Ovid: Ted Hughes
Collected Poems: Sylvia Plath
Selected Poems: Dylan Thomas
New Selected Poems: Carol Ann Duffy
Any recommendations for where to go next on my journey through the world of poetry are very much welcome!
Eilidh
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