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      The Society
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      Beauty, Humor, Poetry, Rondeau
      6 Comments
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      January 31, 2023
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      ‘Love and Loss: Poems for Viktoria Sokoli’ by Paul Freeman

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      January 30, 2023
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      ‘Comfort’ and Other Poetry of the Sea by Catherine Lee

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      January 30, 2023
      18
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      January 29, 2023
      9
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      StairWell Canto 8: ‘Covid-Priest’ by James Sale

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      January 28, 2023
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      From the Society, Poetry, Poetry Contests
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      January 29, 2016
      Essays, For Educators, Poetry Forms
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      Transgression, Fake and Genuine: An Essay by Joseph S. Salemi

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      January 23, 2023
      35
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Culture

‘Carcassonne’ and Other Poetry by Gustave Nadaud, Translated by Joshua C. Frank

The Society
September 21, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Music, Poetry, Translation
18 Comments
. Carcassonne by Gustave Nadaud (1820-1893) Translated by Joshua C. Frank “At sixty years, I’m getting old, And I’ve been working all my days Not being able to behold Fulfillment of my wishing gaze. I...

StairWell Canto 10 Extract 2 by James Sale

The Society
September 19, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Epic, Poetry
44 Comments
. StairWell Canto 10 extract 2 Context: In the 10th Canto of HellWard we met 4 poets condemned to Hell. Now in the 10th Canto of StairWell, we meet another 4 poets stuck in Purgatory. This extract takes us to...

‘Paracelsus’ by Adam Sedia

The Society
September 18, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
. Paracelsus Creating man demands not much: Combine the four base elements In right amounts; the lodestone’s touch At once should jolt him into sense. First Earth, in greatest quantity: For what is flesh...

A Poem on Gun Control and Other Poems by Stephen M. Dickey

The Society
September 16, 2022
Culture, Poetry
19 Comments
. I. Lefties, in fact, are cool with using guns. Their Mayakovsky howled The floor is yours, Comrade Mauser! as they came for the sons of their serfs, knocking grimly on their doors. What leftists won’t...

Athena Emboldens Telemachus: Book 1 of The Odyssey Complete Text, Translated by Mike Solot

The Society
September 15, 2022
Culture, Epic, Poetry, Translation
6 Comments
. The Odyssey Translator's Note: The Odyssey, Book 1, which exemplifies an essential feature of Homer's art as a storyteller, the way he composes the books of his epics as wholes, each with its own beginning,...

‘Obedience’ by Giuseppe Gioachino Belli, Translated by Joseph S. Salemi (with a Long Note)

The Society
September 13, 2022
Culture, Essays, Humor, Poetry, Translation
16 Comments
. Obedience by Giuseppe Gioachino Belli (1791-1863) translated from Romanesco by Joseph S. Salemi It’s not true, Christians, what you have been told— That you need endless patience to obey. Obedience...

A Poem on Drug Abuse: ‘An American Tragedy’ by Phil S. Rogers

The Society
September 13, 2022
Culture, Poetry
12 Comments
. An American Tragedy In his mind the purple walrus __mutated to a bat, its unstable form evolving __till it became a cat. "Old cat," said he, "you frown at me, __it seems you are annoyed." "I am your mind,"...

‘The Beginning of Wisdom’ by T.M.A. Day

The Society
September 12, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
10 Comments
. The Beginning of Wisdom Within the passing noon of our own life, I saw through woodlands dark and traces grim, Those words upon the graven arches rim, Whose clarity compounds immortal strife. They claimed...

A Poem for Those Affected by the Mill Fire in Siskiyou County, by James A. Tweedie

The Society
September 11, 2022
Culture, Poetry
9 Comments
. In Silence I Sing for those affected by the Mill Fire, September 2022 Uplifted to God as with wings of a bird In silence I sing without music or word. Though once filled with praise I no longer rejoice, For...

‘The Adjudication’ and Other Poetry by Anthony Watts

The Society
September 11, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
12 Comments
. The Adjudication “I weep for you,” the Walrus said: __“I deeply sympathise.” With sobs and tears he sorted out __Those of the largest size, Holding his pocket-handkerchief __Before his streaming...

‘The Way of the World’ by Jeffrey Essmann

The Society
September 10, 2022
Culture, Poetry
4 Comments
. The Way of the World Some horrid truth seems now made manifest: __Some nothingness tucked in the human core Parades itself as fullness and the best __In us—our grace, our reason—sore distorts. __In...

‘Drunk on Compassion’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko

The Society
September 9, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Villanelle
48 Comments
. Drunk on Compassion How good it feels to open up your heart And groove on how compassionate you are! You advertise your causes on your car And list your Facebook “likes” upon a chart. You march in...

A Poem on the Passing of Queen Elizabeth II: ‘For My Queen’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
September 8, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
62 Comments
. For My Queen Queen Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor April 21, 1926 - September 8, 2022 My symbol of nobility, stability and grace, Who reigned yet never ruled---she was my constant caring face On TV screen,...

10 New Riddles for Mid-Autumn Festival 2022

The Society
September 8, 2022
Children's, Culture, Poetry, Riddles
10 Comments
. The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, falls on Sept. 10 this year. A common tradition is to read riddles hung from lanterns while under the moonlight. The holiday usually corresponds to the harvest...

‘Capability Brown’ by Jeff Eardley

The Society
September 8, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
22 Comments
. Capability Brown Lancelot “Capability” Brown was England’s greatest landscape architect. His name was Capability, A man of great humility, He knew just where to plant a tree, Enhancing England’s...

‘Cracked Liberty Bell’ and Other Poetry by Peter Venable

The Society
September 6, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
2 Comments
. Cracked Liberty Bell July the 4th—Independence. Many bands play. Parades pass by— Fireworks fly. __Rocket’s red glare . . . 1900. A song was sung From old to young: Lift every voice— They sang,...

StairWell Canto 10 Extract by James Sale

The Society
September 5, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Epic, Poetry
55 Comments
. StairWell Canto 10 extract Context: In the 10th Canto of HellWard we met 4 poets condemned to Hell. Now in the 10th Canto of StairWell, we meet another 4 poets stuck in Purgatory. This extract takes us to...

‘In Plain Sight’ and Other Poetry by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
September 4, 2022
Culture, Pantoum, Poetry
45 Comments
. In Plain Sight Our enemies aren’t rattling at the gate. Our foes aren’t firing shots from foreign ground. They toy with minds---pain brains, and obfuscate--- We bend and bow and break without a...

‘Ozymandias Begins’ by Paul Freeman

The Society
September 4, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
19 Comments
. Ozymandias Begins I met the monarch of our ancient land, who said, ‘Your skill at sculpting is renowned. The hammer and the chisel in your hand will make my semblance evermore resound.’ Upon his...

A Rebuttal to Michael Burch and An Encouragement to Poets, by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
September 3, 2022
Culture, Essays, Poetry
65 Comments
. by Susan Jarvis Bryant This is a word of encouragement to all those poets out there who use their art to get a grave point on current issues across. Never let those who criticize you shut you down. Never...

‘Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko

The Society
September 2, 2022
Culture, Music, Poetry
20 Comments
. Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition  Although this mad world’s headed for perdition, Don’t cower or wring hands with misery. Spines straight, my friends! Choose gumption and ambition Just like the...

‘Seminary’ by Paul Buchheit

The Society
September 2, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
12 Comments
. Seminary Recalling days of vigor and simplicity, of boyish spirits spun from neural gossamer and hardened into granite by a panoply of actors: scamps of nimble wit, a conjurer of whimsy, lords of innocent...

‘Food for Thought’ and Other Food-Related Poetry by Anna J. Arredondo

The Society
September 1, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Limerick, Poetry
24 Comments
. Food for Thought A Culinary Tale There once was a man wan and pallid, he Suffered from a mysterious malady: __He ate carrots and greens, __Ripe tomatoes and beans, But eschewed anything that's not...

‘The Death of the Leviathan’ by Adam Sedia

The Society
August 31, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Pantoum, Poetry
8 Comments
. The Death of the Leviathan The monster finally meets its doom: Sound out the death-knell, light the pyre! The depths are ready for its tomb--- Now let the wretch at last expire! Sound out the death-knell,...

The 22 Best Haiku of 2022

The Society
August 30, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Haiku and Senryu, Poetry, Poetry Contests
27 Comments
. The 22 Best Haiku of 2022 Winner and Runners-up of the Society of Classical Poets 2022 Haiku Competition Judged by Margaret Coats (see her remarks below) See all entrants here. . COMPETITION WINNER . a...

‘Requiem for Eurydice’ by Mary Virginia Vietor

The Society
August 29, 2022
Beauty, Culture, High School Submissions, Poetry
10 Comments
. Requiem for Eurydice The sunlight dims before my eyes, __My fingertips lose yours, And as my whispered farewell flies, __The last crescendo soars. Then one breath hovers, trembles, dies— __The audience all...

‘Ode to Poets of the Past’ by Joe Kidd

The Society
August 26, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
8 Comments
. Ode to Poets of the Past I do agree with the sights__that I have seen:the warm and comfortable steps__where love has been and with the sounds of truth__that I have heard—the whisper and the song__between...

A Conceit or Just a Similitude? Two Brief Illustrations from Sir John Suckling, by Joseph S. Salemi

The Society
August 25, 2022
Culture, Essays, Humor, Poetry
13 Comments
. A Conceit or Just a Similitude? Two Brief Illustrations from Sir John Suckling by Joseph S. Salemi One of the earliest things one learns in poetry is the distinction between a simile and a metaphor. In...

‘Not the Third Reich… Yet’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko

The Society
August 25, 2022
Culture, Poetry
34 Comments
. Not the Third Reich... Yet It makes me burn to hear the left berate Good policy and leaders they dislike With claims the U.S. is a fascist state--- “A Nazi nation just like the Third Reich.” Invoking...

On Insects and Worms for Food: ‘Snub the Grub’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
August 24, 2022
Culture, Poetry, Satire
61 Comments
. Snub the Grub upon reading news of a beetle burger, The Daily Mail, August 24, 2022 I scan the menu (a la carte) To find that I can take no part In scarab chowder with a pinch Of millipede. It makes me...

‘Daedalus’ and Other Poetry by Morrison Handley-Schachler

The Society
August 24, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
7 Comments
. Daedalus Icarus, you have disobeyed, As all men do, and dearly paid. Too recklessly your heart did fly Between high seas and louring sky. The wings I gave you, it is true, But what would you have had me...

‘Poetry Lessons’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
August 22, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
26 Comments
. Poetry Lessons The poet said he’d show and never tell--- His imagery would mesmerize and blaze. In quatrains laced with Aphrodite’s spell, His sibilance would scintillate and daze. The poet said...

‘Un-Justice Merrick Garland’ and Other Poetry by Russel Winick

The Society
August 18, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
19 Comments
. Un-Justice Merrick Garland “Garland is a moderate,” Obama swore, We all can see his moderation now--- The Trump raid tactics never used before, Which Garland must have learned from Chairman...

Persia, Ferdowsi, and the Shahnameh: An Essay by Adam Sedia

The Society
August 17, 2022
Culture, Epic, Essays, Poetry
3 Comments
. POEMS THAT BUILT A NATION PART II. Persia, Ferdowsi, and the Shahnameh by Adam Sedia A previous essay highlighted how the Finnish national epic poem, the Kalevala, spurred the development of Finnish culture...

‘Persistence’ by David L. Williams

The Society
August 17, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
4 Comments
. Persistence It seems when flies get in from the outside, They never find how to get out again; Instead they only buzz around and hide, A game that often is the death of them. At times hours pass when you...

‘An Anti-Evolution Song’ by Evan Mantyk

The Society
August 15, 2022
Culture, Poetry, Satire, Science
31 Comments
. An Anti-Evolution Song Evolution Is False. God Is True. inspired by the writings of Zhang Tianliang How probable is it, however you spin it, __That man has evolved out of nothing? Do I look like a schmuck...

‘Images of Darwin, post-1859’ and Other Poetry by Damian Robin

The Society
August 15, 2022
Culture, Human Rights in China, Poetry, Satire
13 Comments
. Images of Darwin, Post-1859 1859: The year the ponderously titled On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle For Life was published. A fat,...

A Poem for Salman Rushdie: ‘Mightier Than the Sword?’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
August 14, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
49 Comments
. Mightier Than the Sword?   His Eighties searing splash of fiery ink Scorched the skin of those who won’t allow The flare of feisty words. His weren’t in sync With those of kowtow howls. He wouldn’t...

A Poem on Taxes: ‘Give and Take’ by Norma Pain

The Society
August 12, 2022
Culture, Poetry, Satire
19 Comments
. Give and Take Mr. Taxman, you’re a peach, Fill your pockets we beseech. Having money is a curse, Please take freely from our purse. We may catch up some time later, Certainly your need is greater. Money...

‘Byrd in Flight’ and ‘Summer Sunday Baroque’ by Cynthia Erlandson

The Society
August 10, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry
24 Comments
. Byrd in Flight The surplice-vested, five-part choir, Like sparrows on a five-tiered wire, Gives flight to canticles of Byrd. The flocks of lightweight, living notes Ascend to where celestial thoughts Send...
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Trending Poems

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  • ‘Greta’s Smorgasbord of Hate’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko 61 comments
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Resources

       Online Teacher’s Poetry Guide

       How to Write with Meter

       Poems of the Year

       Best Love Poems of 2021

       Best Haiku of 2022

 

Poetry Challenges

       Rhyme Two Random Words

       Classic Movie-Inspired Poem

       Bedtime Prayer

       ‘Tyranny of Fear and Lies…’

       What Rhymes with Orange? 

       Turn Famous Poem into Limerick 

       A Raven-Like Poem on Poe’s Death

       Split Nursery Rhyme       

       Poetry Quotes Challenge

       Sonnet in Iambic Monometer

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Trending Poetry

  • A Poem for January 6 Prisoners: ‘Letter from a DC Prison’ by Adam Wasem 36 comments
  • ‘Greta’s Smorgasbord of Hate’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko 61 comments
  • Poetry Catholic priest abortion A Poem for Defrocked Priest Frank Pavone: ‘Unholy Orders’ by Joshua C. Frank 67 comments
  • poem/medical assistance in dying/MAID Poems on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), by Susan Jarvis Bryant 27 comments
  • poetry/robert burns/burns night A Sonnet for Burns Night, by Susan Jarvis Bryant 42 comments
  • ‘Mourning Louis XVI’ by Brian Yapko 25 comments
  • poetry/essay/Salemi/transgressive Transgression, Fake and Genuine: An Essay by Joseph S. Salemi 35 comments
  • poetry poem beauty culture death funeral ‘Elegy for an Unremarkable Man’ by Shaun C. Duncan 28 comments
  • ‘Bats at Sunset’ and Other Poetry by Maxim D. Shrayer 17 comments
  • ‘A Broadside’ by Peter Lillios 17 comments
  • ‘I Will Mock When Your Calamity Cometh’ by Alexander King Ream 5 comments
  • ‘Iambic Barktameter’ by Mark F. Stone 30 comments
  • poem/philosophy/descartes ‘Practical Philosophy’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson 29 comments
  • A Poem Commemorating January 6th and Ashli Babbitt, by Monika Cooper 18 comments
  • poetry poem bird ‘The Stonechat Listens At The Asylum Window’ by Charles Southerland 28 comments

Resources

          1. How to Write a Sonnet

          2. How to Write a Haiku

          3. How to Write a Limerick

          4. Best Poems of 2019

          5. Best Haiku of 2020

          6. Poetry Lesson Plan

          7. Poetry Contests

 

 

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