I am crazy about poetry, I have been all of my life. For as far back as I can remember I have been making up ditties and prose about my environment and experiences. I have volumes of notebooks filled with not so great poetry that I have written, much of it from a very long time ago, however even today I do on the odd occasion still write pieces of prose if the mood hits me. Unfortunately, the mood usually hits me now when I am shitfaced drunk, so the writing is still primarily drivel, but I do enjoy writing it.
Once I won an award in the Ballarat Begonia Festival Writing Competition for a piece of poetry that I wrote when I was 16, it was all about teenage suicide. I got asked to read that piece of writing at a variety of things on stage, talk about nerve wracking stuff! Looking back on it I think that people may have thought that I was actually a bit suicidal at the time, but I wasn't. The piece of writing probably would've been a lot better if I had had some actual experience with the emotions that I was trying to convey because it really wasn't a well written piece at all, but I was still pretty chuffed about getting a $20 book voucher as a prize for it.
Even as a small child, I was always fascinated by nursery rhymes and spent hours trying to remember lines of simple prose. I believe that my father may have ignited that spark within me, because he has always liked poems and would often recite extracts from Rudyard Kipling poems and other simple limericks that he had picked up himself as a boy. I remember many ditties that he shared with me over the years, perhaps my favourite of all was the Three Jolly Gypsies, a poem that he told so often that I can recite it word for word still today.
As children, we had a series of Colliers books in our home and one of them had dozens of poems and rhymes in the front section, recently I came back into possession of a copy of that book and was so excited to see the prose and sketches that had so enchanted me as a child once again. I reread it from cover to cover, relishing in the nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Poetry is a bit of a lost art these days and there are not nearly enough poets in the world anymore. People also do not long to hear poetry being read anymore, well not many people do anyway. I do still love to listen to good poetry being read and I love to get lost in the mystery of really good prose, but the opportunities to indulge are few and far between these days. Generally, anyone wandering about reciting poetry these days would be considered a bit of a nutter really; alas the days of the poet are truly over!
Anyone that can string a few sentences together now becomes a singer, whether they can actually sing or not is irrelevant, in fact 99% percent of rappers are really just poets anyway. Unfortunately though, no-one really wants to be known as a poet these days because there is no money in it. There probably never was to be honest, but at least poets were somewhat revered back in the day before mass media and online distraction.
Well, poetry may be a dying art, but it is an art that I personally adore, and if like me, you feel like getting lost in some quality poetry anytime soon than I highly recommend a look at this little gem of a movie. Everything about it is pure poetry!
Once I won an award in the Ballarat Begonia Festival Writing Competition for a piece of poetry that I wrote when I was 16, it was all about teenage suicide. I got asked to read that piece of writing at a variety of things on stage, talk about nerve wracking stuff! Looking back on it I think that people may have thought that I was actually a bit suicidal at the time, but I wasn't. The piece of writing probably would've been a lot better if I had had some actual experience with the emotions that I was trying to convey because it really wasn't a well written piece at all, but I was still pretty chuffed about getting a $20 book voucher as a prize for it.
Even as a small child, I was always fascinated by nursery rhymes and spent hours trying to remember lines of simple prose. I believe that my father may have ignited that spark within me, because he has always liked poems and would often recite extracts from Rudyard Kipling poems and other simple limericks that he had picked up himself as a boy. I remember many ditties that he shared with me over the years, perhaps my favourite of all was the Three Jolly Gypsies, a poem that he told so often that I can recite it word for word still today.
As children, we had a series of Colliers books in our home and one of them had dozens of poems and rhymes in the front section, recently I came back into possession of a copy of that book and was so excited to see the prose and sketches that had so enchanted me as a child once again. I reread it from cover to cover, relishing in the nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Poetry is a bit of a lost art these days and there are not nearly enough poets in the world anymore. People also do not long to hear poetry being read anymore, well not many people do anyway. I do still love to listen to good poetry being read and I love to get lost in the mystery of really good prose, but the opportunities to indulge are few and far between these days. Generally, anyone wandering about reciting poetry these days would be considered a bit of a nutter really; alas the days of the poet are truly over!
Anyone that can string a few sentences together now becomes a singer, whether they can actually sing or not is irrelevant, in fact 99% percent of rappers are really just poets anyway. Unfortunately though, no-one really wants to be known as a poet these days because there is no money in it. There probably never was to be honest, but at least poets were somewhat revered back in the day before mass media and online distraction.
Well, poetry may be a dying art, but it is an art that I personally adore, and if like me, you feel like getting lost in some quality poetry anytime soon than I highly recommend a look at this little gem of a movie. Everything about it is pure poetry!
BRIGHT STAR
Release Date: 2009
Rating: M
Running Time: 120 mins
A historical drama romance based on the last three years of the life of English poet John Keats and his romantic relationship to Fanny Brawne. Directed by Jane Campion, this may well be one of the most beautifully realised romance films of all time. Bright Star is darling with a capital D, in all respects, and I absolutely fell in love with this tale just as deeply as the John and Fanny fell for each other.
In 1818 Hampstead, a lovely seamstress and fashion designer named Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) is introduced to a poor poet named John Keats (Ben Whishaw) through their mutual acquaintance poet Charles Brown. Over the changing seasons, Fanny and Keats fall deeply in love with each other, continuously exchanging notes, poetry and tokens of love. However circumstances continue to make it increasingly difficult for them to be together and they are reluctantly forced to be apart.
This movie is absolutely gorgeous in every way. The poetry, the costuming, the beautiful sprawling landscapes, the adorable characters, it is the most delightful period romance and if you are a lover of poetry then you are in for a real treat.
Whishaw and Cornish make the most delightful and convincing onscreen couple. The love that Fanny Brawne and John Keats shared was truly the stuff of dreams and fantasy, but it makes for the most whimsical and magical romance movie ever. There is so much to love here, Bright Star is an absolute must see period romance.
FINAL SAY: Poetry soothes and emboldens the soul to accept the mystery.
4.5 Chilli Peppers
Release Date: 2009
Rating: M
Running Time: 120 mins
A historical drama romance based on the last three years of the life of English poet John Keats and his romantic relationship to Fanny Brawne. Directed by Jane Campion, this may well be one of the most beautifully realised romance films of all time. Bright Star is darling with a capital D, in all respects, and I absolutely fell in love with this tale just as deeply as the John and Fanny fell for each other.
In 1818 Hampstead, a lovely seamstress and fashion designer named Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) is introduced to a poor poet named John Keats (Ben Whishaw) through their mutual acquaintance poet Charles Brown. Over the changing seasons, Fanny and Keats fall deeply in love with each other, continuously exchanging notes, poetry and tokens of love. However circumstances continue to make it increasingly difficult for them to be together and they are reluctantly forced to be apart.
This movie is absolutely gorgeous in every way. The poetry, the costuming, the beautiful sprawling landscapes, the adorable characters, it is the most delightful period romance and if you are a lover of poetry then you are in for a real treat.
Whishaw and Cornish make the most delightful and convincing onscreen couple. The love that Fanny Brawne and John Keats shared was truly the stuff of dreams and fantasy, but it makes for the most whimsical and magical romance movie ever. There is so much to love here, Bright Star is an absolute must see period romance.
FINAL SAY: Poetry soothes and emboldens the soul to accept the mystery.
4.5 Chilli Peppers
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