I have been given an assignment to read a poem in front of my english class. I haven't read alot of poetry so if someone could give me any suggestions for which one to choose I would greatly appreciate it. Oh yeah, and not that I want to be a bother or anything but it's supposed to be a short one too.

Thanks in advance!

Go for Keats. He has some whoopers, but there are a few short ones, like his Ode's.

I'd rather be a maybe if I could not be an are

For a maybe is a could-be with a chance of going far.

I'd rather be a has-been than a might-have-been by far

For a might-have-been has never been, but a has-been was an are.

thanks halo, i'll look around for some of them on monday at the school library. i'm guessing that most of my classmates will pick more or less famous poems, i'd be surprised if shakespeare's sonnet #18 isn't picked fast for example. since i'm the first one out, i figured it would be cool to have something that would impress our teacher, who is an old hag for sure.

ps. btw, english history is included in this course, you guys sure fought alot!

Since you have not stated if there are any parameters on the "type" of poem you are to read I would suggest you find something that speaks to you in a way that you can feel.

Poetry need not rhyme to be good, but it should create an image for the reader/listener. Reading a poem just to read can be tedious, but reading a poem that is something you want to share can bring the words to life.

there are not alot of requirements for the poem we choose, the only things she said was that it had to be quite short and that it should have some form of value to the class. so yeah, finding one that 'speaks to me' would be a good idea. however, that's proving difficult and i guess a real classic is the next best thing, right?

The one Bylimet typed was pretty good. Who wrote that?

Actually, I do not know the authors, but I do know it was the result of one writer sending in the first two lines to the local paper's Bulletin Board, and anopther contributor then adding the second two lines.


I have always liked the meandering method it uses to make a point.