The Hawaiian word of the day is
haku mele.
It is poet.
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| Burns' portrait by Alexander Nasmyth Scottish National Portrait Gallery |
Tonight, Scots gather to celebrate Robert Burns' birthday with the piping in the haggis, wee drams of whisky, and reading his poetry, including MY HEART'S IN THE HIGHLANDS:
The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth;
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,
The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.
My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here;
My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer;
A-chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,
My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go.
Farewell to the mountains high covered with snow;
Farewell to the straths and green valleys below;
Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods;
Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.
My heart's in the Highland, my heart is not here;
My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer;
A-chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,
My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go.
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| Glencoe |
The birth-place of Valour .... and home of heroes. Enter Hannah Howell's HIGHLAND HERO:
There's nothing sexier than a man in a kilt, and in these four timeless tales set in Scotland, New York Times bestselling author Hannah Howell takes us into a land of romance and adventure. . .
Prepare to meet four heroes as captivating as the Highlands. A dashing laird with an appetite for more than a Scottish beauty's culinary skills. . . a proud lord on a journey of rescue and desire. . . a sensual warrior at the center of one woman's dreams. . . and a handsome but somber Scot whose joy is reawakened by true love. These passionate romances will thrill you, seduce you, and warm your heart. . .
I am giving away a print copy of HIGHLAND HERO to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,
1. Leave a comment about poetry - would you like to share a favorite verse?
2. Comments are open through Saturday, January 26, 10 pm in Hawaii.
3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 27.
Mahalo,
Kim in Hawaii
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| Glenfinnan |
I've always loved this poem ever since I was in my elementary years,
ReplyDelete"You came without your title and fame
No shining armor, a knight without a name
It all happened so fast
A certain kind of magic but didn't last
For a time we were so close, so fine
The kind that made me want you to be mine
But somebody owns you, somebody real
And you need to go home to that paper with a seal
You were in a rush, and I came too late
Nobody can comprehend the hands of fate
I thank the heavens for letting me know you
I cursed the time for having met you
But something caused for us to met
A feeling of warmth that makes our heart beat
To the rhythm that matches our song
To a time and place where we do not belong.. "
I am not fond of poetry.
ReplyDeleteMay the road rise up to meet you.
ReplyDeleteMay the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
I LOVE the Irish blessings!!
I have to admit that I'm not into poetry!
ReplyDeleteWhile dutifully plodding through Shakespearean plays in school, I was pleased to find his poems. So much easier to memorize. And then there's John Donne.
ReplyDeletethanks for the great post and congrats to Hannah on her new release! I haven't read any poetry really since HS. But I did like Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteI am not fond of poetry. JUst never been a big fan. I read about them because they are mentioned in books... Like John Donne and other romantic poets but that's about it...
ReplyDeleteWilliam Wordsworth's poem is one of my favorites. I'm always reminded of England when I read this.
ReplyDelete"I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD"
I WANDERED lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
I love Hannah's books, and have a lot of them myself. I'd love to read this.
I love Hannah. I have over a dozen of her books.
ReplyDeleteNot much into poetry, I'm afraid.
I don't know much about poetry, but my mother's friend is Japanese and taught us about Haiku when I was young. I thought it was so fun and simple to create. We did many silly ones, but I guess it taught us something about different cultures and poetry. Poems don't have to be long and fancy to be meaningful.
ReplyDeleteRobert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.
ReplyDelete1. The Road Not Taken
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20
I've always liked that one!
I came across this recently: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jul/29/robert-frost-edward-thomas-poetry
Deleteafter reading Book Snob's blog about the poet's wife:
http://bookssnob.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/as-it-was-by-helen-thomas/
I don't usually read poetry, so I don't have a poem to share. But, I do enjoy the Irish blessings.
ReplyDeleteSorry, not a fan of poetry.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Edgar Allan Poe...
ReplyDeleteThe Conqueror Worm
Lo! 'tis a gala night
Within the lonesome latter years!
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
In veils, and drowned in tears,
Sit in a theatre, to see
A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully
The music of the spheres.
Mimes, in the form of God on high,
Mutter and mumble low,
And hither and thither fly-
Mere puppets they, who come and go
At bidding of vast formless things
That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their Condor wings
Invisible Woe!
That motley drama- oh, be sure
It shall not be forgot!
With its Phantom chased for evermore,
By a crowd that seize it not,
Through a circle that ever returneth in
To the self-same spot,
And much of Madness, and more of Sin,
And Horror the soul of the plot.
But see, amid the mimic rout
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!- it writhes!- with mortal pangs
The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
In human gore imbued.
Out- out are the lights- out all!
And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
Comes down with the rush of a storm,
While the angels, all pallid and wan,
Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, 'Man,'
And its hero the Conqueror Worm.
Edgar Allan Poe
I'm not big on poetry either but like Catslady I do enjoy reading The Road Not Taken.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the name Hannah Howell my heart sped up. Then I saw the name Highland Hero. Just made my day. :) favorite genre to read. LOVE it.
Thanks so much for this chance.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
read poetry when I was younger (high school & college) though not much any more. Betty -- have always loved the Irish Blessing too (in its various forms though that is the version that comes to mind first for me).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder about Bobby's Birthday - I have a couple old Staffordshire pieces from my grandparents they always referred to as Bobby Burns & Highland Mary, so I went over and wished them a Happy Birthday.
ReplyDeleteI was very struck by the poem read at Monday's Inauguration by Richard Blanco called "One Today" - here's a link to the poem and a video of the reading:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57565123/one-today-text-of-richard-blancos-inaugural-poem/
I haven't read much poetry since it was forced on me in school. The only poem I still remember is one I had to memorize in grade one.
ReplyDeletedon't have a favorite
ReplyDeleteHi Kim -
ReplyDeleteI love Hannah's books and can't believe I missed picking up Highland Hero when the anthology came out in November!
My love poetry and my favorite has always been one that makes me thing of Scotland, the land of my ancestors.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
BY ROBERT FROST
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
you took my poem lol... This is my favorite one... My aunt gave me a book filled with Robert frost poems when i was 10 and this was always one of my favorites.
DeleteI don't read much poetry, but this poem has given me comfort in times of sorrow:
ReplyDeleteDo not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight.
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.
~Mary Frye (1932)~ (Original)
I've never been one for poetry. I'd rather someone just tell it to me straight & not tie it up in word riddles.
ReplyDeleteI used to write poetry when I was younger - late teens/early twenties (it was not good, lol). My favorites though was one that I wrote for my grandparents on the 50th anniversary and those that I wrote when my nieces & nephew were born. But I don't really have any quotes to share.
ReplyDeleteouch I'm not expert to write poetry :(
ReplyDeleteI love poetry it i used to write poetry when i was younger... Have a whole book full from when i was in Middle and High School. Robert Frost is one of my favorites. As you posted a Robert Burns poem I will share my favorite Love Poem of his.
ReplyDeleteA Red Red Rose
O my Luve's like a red,red rose
That's newly sprung in June;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my Dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dry
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
I will love thee still, my Dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only Luve!
And fare thee weel, a while!
And I will come again,my Luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!
I don't really have a favourite poem or verse in mind as I'm not that into poetry...
ReplyDeleteI have never been fond of poetry. It's just not my thing.
ReplyDelete