Okay, so with all the movies and songs and what have you, I'm making a poetry thread. Who are your favorites? Why are they your favorites? What poems do you particularly like?

Personally, I'm a fan of post modern poetry, specifically, "Jazz poetry"... what can I say? I'm a whore for jazz. Langston Hughes and the writers of the Black Renaissance are brilliant. I like classics, as well - "Thanotopsis" is one of my favorites, Lewis Carol's "Jabbowokie" (anyone who knows how to spell that is welcome to correct me!)

There are a lot of others, too. "Urban poetry" (not rap, per se, though some of that's good too) is rather enjoyable... heavy rhythm, heavy accent, heavy emotion. I'm a fan.

Anyway, who do you like?

I've seen some performance poetry that was damn good, but mostly I avoid poetry. I love clever wordplay, but a lot of poetry reminds me of modern art, in the sense that its more to do with what it represents than what it actually is.

To hell with clichés: Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven is my favourite poem.

I think it's 'Jabberwoky', but without yaking twenty seconds to Google it I can't be sure That's one of the few poems that I know by heart. I never intended to learn it, it just stuck with me.

My personal favourite is 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It's a long 'un, but a good 'un. I studied it a few times at college and ended up writing my dissertation about it, arguing that it contained a strong bisexual discourse. I generally like a lot of Coleridge's work.

I love Dorothy Parker. Unfortunate Coincidence, A Dream lies Dead, On Being a Woman and so on. >.>

I'm with you on that. I mean, I've read loads of poetry that I've enjoyed or felt deeply about, but unfortunately the names and poets escape. I enjoy most of Wordsworths stuff too, especially Westminster Bridge.

Ditto. Admittedly, I don't know it especially well, but I really like it.

I know W.H. Auden's 'Stop All The Clocks, Cut Off The Telephone' by heart. I wouldn't say it is a favourite of mine, as such, but it has stuck with me for several years.

I also like Roger McGough's poem that I think is called, 'The Mafia Cats'. It's funny. It's from the collection, "Bad Bad Cats" if you want to look for it.

I will think of others later.

I just read that poem last week! I loved it enough to write it in my notebook! Good poem so it is! Very meaningful.

I'm a big fan of poetry - Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath and T.S Eliot are all among my favourites! I think I'm also getting a taste for Ezra Pound - Oh how happy my English lecturer will be!

Fal xXx

The Raven, By Poe, of course...
And Swordblades and Poppyseeds... I can't remember the author's name at present, but it'll come back to me...

A E Houseman

Into my heart an air that kills.

For me it is wet winter Sunday evenings. School tomorrow and the homework not yet done.

And in later life the endless dull grind to feed a mortgage.

Retired these few years, the grey wave still sweeps over on a Sunday untill I remember I don't go there any more.

There's nothing like a bit of misery to cheer you up when you remember you don't have to now.

Misty Rain.

Amy Lowell