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A Poem For Our Time
span class="intro_paragraph"> Sunday 21 March 2021 was World Poetry Day, first designated as such by UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation), for the purpose of “supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard.”
Wednesday 23 March 2021 marked one complete year since our first national lockdown for Coronavirus.
This all got me thinking about the purpose of poetry and, when I was researching what other people have said about the importance of it as an art form, I came across plenty of poetry fans who talked about it being an effective way to create an emotive connection with the reader – either about the subject matter at hand, or as a strong connection between a person and the time at which they first heard the poem (maybe a wedding, or a funeral, or simply a lesson whilst at school). Will people in the future look to poems written today in order to understand what we are currently experiencing?
I had a go at recalling some of the poems that have stuck with me in my lifetime – and I was surprised at how many I could remember! I have shared a few examples along with the reasons why they are memorable, but what would your choices be?
What poem would you represent our unusual situation?
Can anyone express your feelings as well as you do yourself?
The first poem I remember was read while I was at infant school, believe it or not, and it’s memorable because I made and painted a bright-orange clay tiger in class as part of the project…
Later, in my GCSE years, I recall the hugely atmospheric and fairy-tale like but nevertheless dark poem, “The Lady of Shalott,” by Tennyson, that was used to inspire gothic creative writing pieces…
Mr Sargent and I have been recently discussed stories that we’ve enjoyed with our children, and Julia Donaldson’s “The Highway Rat” came high on our list of approvals – maybe because there’s a great payoff at the end – but perhaps also because of the rhyming that runs throughout, making the story very memorable?
How many people can relate to this one by Michael Rosen during lockdown, whilst we are at home so much more than normal, and the fridge holds so much temptation? Has anyone else “tidied up” a Chocolate Cake during lockdown? Here’s Michael doing a live rendition…
Right up to the present day, a year on from the start of the national lockdown last March, contemporary poems describe our experiences. Who could forget a line like “The London Eye seemed to cry tears into the River Thames”
What’s our poem for our time?
