This week's poetry party is being hosted by Tara at A Teaching Life. Thanks for hosting today, Tara. Be sure to hop on over there to see what other poems are being shared today.
Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) is one of my favorite poets, but so much of her poetry can be a little too sophisticated for young readers and would-be poets. Here is one that I found always worked well for introducing Millay's poems to students and would-be poets:
AFTERNOON ON A HILL
I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.
I will look at cliffs and clouds
With quiet eyes,
Watch the wind bow down the grass,
And the grass rise.
And when lights begin to show
Up from the town,
I will mark which must be mine,
And then start down!
When I was still a classroom teacher, after a week of working hard, Friday afternoons were always set aside to do relaxing activities (that is, activities things that weren't graded). It was the perfect time to bring in a little extra poetry and start a discussion.
Lovely poem, Alex -- lifted me right up!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a relaxing Fri. afternoon. The Millay poem definitely captures the spirit of rest and relaxation while still appreciating one's surroundings.
ReplyDeleteI always like this ending, seems comforting: "I will mark which must be mine, And then start down!" Thanks for sharing what might be good to share about her, Alex.
ReplyDeleteI love the image of the wind pressing down the grass and the grass rising. And of course the end. Finding our way home is such a good feeling. Thanks for sharing this one.
ReplyDeleteI like Millay, too. The image of touching a hundred flowers is so joyous, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful poem. Friday afternoons should be a celebration of all the work accolished in a week.
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