Little Pearls of Poetry

I make it no secret that poetry is not my favorite genre of literature. However, I acknowledge that there are poems out there that are true pearls. These pearls -- rare and far between -- are worth hunting for. That said, the Coming to Terms with Literature blog post was chock-full of pearls. The very first video, To This Day, combined a powerful reading with emotional music and absolutely perfect art. Altogether, it is nothing short of a masterpiece. 


Art is near and dear to my heart, and I believe that true art comes in a number of forms. The written word is one of my favorite mediums, but poetry is always more meaningful to me when spoken aloud. I like to have poems delivered to me on waves of emotion that belong to another person.

Now, there are also times when poetry is spoken aloud, but adapted in a way that I don't like. The version of Edgar Allen Poe's, The Raven, as adapted by the Simpsons TV show, was so averse to my tastes that I couldn't watch the entire video. I understand that the intention was to be humorous, but it fell so short of its mark for me that I was left simply angry at how they butchered such a dark, beautiful poem.

Overall, as I watched the clips, the ones that I enjoyed best were ones in which poems were delivered with distinct voices, appropriate timing, and the best visual effects. These include Kate Winslet's brief recitation in Sense and Sensibility, To This Day, and the "Annie McClue" video. While different in tone, all achieved an excellent visual and audible balance.