Middle of March...in April

My sister is the poetry lover in our family, and she recently posted about April's designation as National Poetry Month and shared one of her favorite poems. She's an English/Journalism major and loves words and writing. I enjoy poems, too, if they're understandable--some are not, in my humble opinion.

One of the books she mentioned that we enjoyed growing up was this one--Favorite Poems to Read Aloud, published in 1958. After I read about it on her blog I went searching for it on our bookcase and found the quite dilapidated and yellow-paged little book. It has certainly been handled by many hands since my parents bought it for us...quite long ago! Look closely in the top right-hand corner--a mere 39 cents! Can you imagine?!

Actually, I have been thinking about poems lately, and April poems in particular, after recently subscribing to the email newsletter Old Fashioned Living. The writer sends tips on gardening, herbs/spices, recipes, and hodge-podge, and includes a quote or poem each day. I wanted to share a recent one that is quite appropriate because a few days this week have been just like this poem--the rough winds of March instead of the gentle breezes of April in our neck of the woods.

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day.

When the sun is out and the wind is still,

You're one month on in the middle of May.

But if you so much as dare to speak,

A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,

A wind comes off a frozen peak,

And you're two months back in the middle of March.

~Robert Frost (3rd verse of Two Tramps in Mud Time)

And...I do understand this poem...but that title? I think I need an English major to explain it to me!

~Deb

Comments

[Susan]

I like poetry you can understand, too. My older son, though, thinks that poetry stinks. Period. LOL He has just come through his 12th grade poetry unit, in which he had to analyze Elizabethan and Victorian poetry. Poor guy! On some of the questions, he just wrote his answer and put a question mark after it.

[Bet]

I can't believe you still have that book! can you believe it cost 39 cents?? OH MY!

I totally remember reading and reading and reading that book! So many good poems in there.

And the title of the Frost poem refers literally to two tramps who show up in the first stanza of the poem. The title means exactly what it says. :)

[Lydia]

That sure sounds like April, all right. Just a couple days ago we had bright sunshine and temps in the upper 80's and today it became bitter cold with a strong wind from the north. The saying for weather in Kansas goes like this, "If you don't like the weather in Kansas, wait a day and it will surely change."

I like some poetry, but I'm with you in preferring the understandable type. My favorite form of poetry are song lyrics and the Proverbs from scripture. Thanks for sharing some poetry with us!

[Tammy]

It is neat that you still have the book after many moves.39 cents for a book-how funny to see!!