Poetry

=Poetry=

Have you read a great poetry lately? Tell about it below and add a picture if you'd like. Be sure to tell us what you thought of the poem or book of poetry and that you added it.

The Pit and The Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe

This is a great poem. It was actually one of my favorites. It was first published in 1842. The story is about a tourmented prisoner of the spanish inquesition. The narrator of the story is deemed guilty for an unnamed crime and put into a completely dark room. He passes out while trying to determine the size of the room. When he wakes up, he realizes there is a large, deep pit in the middle of the room. He loses consciousness again and awakens strapped on his back, unable to move more than his head. A huge pedulum is swinging overhead and it gets close enough just to start cutting the clothes off his body. He finds a way out but the prisoner is getting closed in and locked away.

Added By Alex Edwards

=The Boatloads by Dan Albergotti=

This is a shameless plug for my friend (and sister's boyfriend) Dan Albergotti's new book. This is his first book of poetry published in its entirety. Many of his poems focus on questions about God and mortality, being a grown up in a strange world, and wondering about those things that we all wonder about: like what does happen when we die? and what if I had made another choice in my life? How would things be different? If you love this book and want a copy, I can arrange for you to buy an authentic author autographed copy:) Mrs. Wright

= = =A Murmuration of Starlings by Jake Adam York= This book of poetry is by a poet from Gadsden, Alabama. He currently teaches writing at the University of Colorado. I heard him read some of his poems recently at the Alabama Book Festival in Montgomery. (A fabulous day of books, books, books. Check it out next year: April 19, 2009 in Old Town Alabama.) The poems in this book are all about the martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement, from the most well known people like Medgar Evans, to some of the least known seemingly unimportant murders of innocent citizens. One of the most moving poems in this book is about the trial of Emmitt Till's murderers. The murderers and their defense attorneys had the most unbelievable and ridiculous defense theories. Today they would be laughed out of court; however, during those times in rural Mississippi, the men's story was upheld by a series of lying witnesses and policemen that had been paid off. One of the most interesting aspects of these poems is the presence of starlings (a type of bird) in each poem. I don't exactly know why the poet does this, but its effect is beautiful. Somewhere in each poem we are reminded of these innocent, plain birds and how vunerable they are. This symbolism is the perfect reminder of how vunerable and innocent the martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement were as they fought for basic human rights.
 * )Mrs. Wright