Morning Poems, Blook

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Good morning, It is Valentine's day, February 14, 2008. I am going to try something new today. We are doing read a favorite poem today where I work. I think I may introduce the program with what is considered the most famous love poem of all time as well as Shakespeare's Sonnet 141:

How Do I Love Thee?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and heightMy soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every day'sMost quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right.I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to useIn my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to loseWith my lost saints.

I love thee with the breath,Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

William Shakespeares Sonnet 141, In Faith I Do Not Love Thee With Mine Eyes

In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes,

For they in thee a thousand errors note;

But 'tis my heart that loves what they despise,

Who in despite of view is pleased to dote;

Nor are mine ears with thy tongue's tune delighted,

Nor tender feeling, to base touches prone,

Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be invited

To any sensual feast with thee alone:

But my five wits nor my five senses can

Dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee,

Who leaves unsway'd the likeness of a man,

Thy proud hearts slave and vassal wretch to be:

Only my plague thus far I count my gain,

That she that makes me sin awards me pain.

I thought I would open the day with some classic poetry appropriate for Valentine's day. Don't forget your loved ones on this day. Both Shakespeare and Browning are thoroughly out of copyright. Anyways, I thought I would open with some poetry to start the day off.

I finished reading the Howard Zinsser On Writing Well book on the subway and took some notes on the content in blue ballpoint pen. When I get home, I will write a review on the book.

I pulled a truck of books to bring to the poetry program I am doing today to bring to the program today, a mix of poets; Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, Hart Crane, Alice Walker, Charles Bukowski, William Carlos Williams, Diane Wakoski, Sylvia Plath, Audre Lord, Rimbaud, Robert Frost, Theodore Roethke, Daniel Berrigan, Li Po, Ha Jin, Bei Dao and others.

I am going to the supermarket at lunch time to get some cake, mini-muffins, and juice. The room should be set up with a microphone downstairs. Going to the supermarket to get things for programs is always an interesting experience. This is the first time I am attempting to do a poetry style program at the library.

Not a huge amount of people came, eight people, and a few people came in and out to look at the room as well for other events. There were a few people who promised to stop in, but never came. A few people took flyers for other programs.

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Anyways, I was just thinking about something I saw about blogging. My blog would officially be called a blook-- or a book blog. It is one of those supremely silly terms which technologists come up with. It ranks with the idea of web 2.0. It is a rather entertaining term. It might be a new way to combine words in language. For example there are splogs-- spam blogs. Maybe someone will create a blook splog for peoples enjoyment. It would be on how to make money auctioning blogs over the internet.