The Little Turtle

There was a little turtle.

He lived in a box.

He swam in a puddle.

He climbed on the rocks.

 

He snapped at a mosquito.

He snapped at a flea.

He snapped at a minnow.

And he snapped at me.

 

He caught the mosquito.

He caught the flea.

He caught the minnow.

But he didn’t catch me.

 

Vachel Lindsay

180 poems…

So the Library of Congress thought it would be cute to dish out a poem a day for high school students across the country. I think ’tis an excellent idea. But, the problem is besides Theodore Roethke, Kenneth Koch and Nellie Bly I haven’t heard of any of these poets. Oh the more for you to learn. No dammit! there should be established, dead poets up there on teh website for the kids in high school to read. Why you ask, well because who wants to read some schlock from a bunch of people who are untested or who are dubious?  I for one don’t.  And after perusing the page I am sort of disappointed in almost all selections I have read.  I mean come on there are thousands of dead guys and gals to choose from. Does it make it somehow more relevant that we get a bunch of crappy, no talent hacks to read every single day.  Someone should write the LOC a letter and tell them to look at an anthology or two before they consider breathing life into such a well intentioned program.  But like everything well intentioned, what can one do?

 

here is the link: http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-list.html

 

I’m gonna read some Drummond of Hawthornden sonnets now, for pleasure.

Bye,

Mike