Poetry and Emotions

The first time I read Keats' Ode to a Nightingale  I sensed a quiver of something... intangible. When heard it read aloud my pulse quickened and as I recited it, the words came to life. They flow so beautifully! I felt the emotions layered within the poem.

Suddenly I was restless. The buildup of having suppressed certain feelings pushed me to try to reach a dream I've harbored and have patiently waited for the right time. I believe, it's now and really hope I can set it's wheels in motion.

The poem itself has an overall impression of longing and fear. Of wanting to flourish with inspiration and anxiety of not reaching full potential. With each reading it stays fresh, there's something I've missed: how the words work with each other, other interpretations, nuances of how they reflect what was going on in Keats' life, how they relate to mine or its dissimilarities.

I think truly great poetry awakens feelings that are tucked away; Kindles a new vitality or sensibility. Which poems have struck a chord with you? 

Comments

I get the same feeling with Keats. I remember seeking out the Ode to the Nightingale back in school,and feeling awed by its power though I couldn't understand it well then. More recently it's been Eve of St Agnes' images and parts of Lamia that hold that power.
I write on Keats on my blog (and am @keatsbabe on twitter) because I always find he can express how I feel, regardless of the centuries that have passed between our lives. When I have fears... on self doubt for example or the Fall of Hyperion on what makes a poet... He is simply a great poet. You are right - poetry can express our deepest thoughts in the most intense way.
Diana said…
I love Keats! The more I read his poems, the more I fall in love. He's definitely my author crush. :)

I've recently been reading Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and her Sonnets from the Portuguese have stunned me -- and I've barely begun. I'm looking forward to reveling in these a bit more.
Katherine Cox said…
@Caroline: I've read Lamia through just once, there are some lines that are unforgettable but I need to go back and really soak it in. :) Haven't read Eve of St Agnes yet. It will be next after Lamia and Hyperion. :)

@Suzie: Thank you for visiting, Suzie! Yes, it definitely transcends time. :)

@Diana: I dearly hope they'll make another film or tv mini-series of Keats. Wasn't to fond of Bright Star, it was visually a beautiful movie and I did like it but was missing something... perhaps it was the screenplay.
Oh! I came across a book of Portugese poetry at the bookstore the other day, must look at it next time I go in.
JaneGS said…
The first time I heard Ode to a Nightingale was in a college class on Keats, and the professor started the class by reciting the poem was such vigor and emotion that I was completely swept away.

It's remained by favorite poem since then (Sept 1977), and reinforced my respect for poetry as an artform closer to music than to literature.
Anonymous said…
I am not the biggest poetry fan, but just recently I have found myself writing poetry instead of prose when something really touches me, especially if I am sad.

I recently read some modern poetry and there was a collection of poems a young woman dedicated to her stillborn baby and, although luckily I cannot relate, I fell in love with their power and how they moved me.

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