Desert Island Poems

Only 7!!

Quite an arduous task choosing 7 poets with 1  poem from each  from thousands I have read and enjoyed (some more than others) on Oldpoetry in the main, but also from my own ever-growing collection of Poetry Books ranging from World War 1 to Australian Bush Poetry. Humour from Marriott Edgar, both humour and poignant short pieces, packed solid with emotion from Spike Milligan, the galloping Rhyme of A B 'Banjo' Paterson, known more of a 'City' poet than a boy from the bush. The wistful words of Tagore Ryokan, beautiful in translation, to the memories of Ireland and the hardships of early Australia from Alice Guerin Crist, the haunting visual splendours of nature to the loss of his first-born child from Henry Kendall and lastly the raw, blood soaked words from Wilfred Owen, his distaste for war and waste of life as he saw it.

Quite an assortment you must agree. My choices are not made lightly nor easily as there are so many admirable poets from whom to choose.

As I can't place them in order of 'favourites' they are listed by surname alphabetically:

Alice Guerin Crist
oldpoetry.com/oauthor/show/Alice_Guerin_Crist
The poem I have chosen from her collection is: AFTERGLOW
oldpoetry.com/opoem/5614-Alice-Guerin-Crist-Afterglow  - one of the reasons is that this was written in 1887, when Alice was just 11 years old.  I was struck immediately by the maturity of this young girl. I feel that even as a young child she has already lost someone dear to her. This poem also was the pre-cursor to a long life of writing poems of great quality and truth.

Marriott Edgar  - allpoetry.com/Column/2283100
oldpoetry.com/oauthor/show/Marriott_Edgar
Also chosen by Jim but I  couldn't resist adding this man who wrote so many hilariously funny monologues (some together with Stanley Holloway) I've had many a laugh and good time reading and reciting his work to others my collection would not have been complete without him.  We have 34 of his monologues on Oldpoetry and to choose one is difficult, however after much deliberation this is the one: LITTLE AGGIE-
oldpoetry.com/opoem/14034-Marriott-Edgar-Little-Aggie
The thought of a herd of Elephants tramping their way from Blackpool in England's north, to me, is just so funny. Poor Little Aggie having to run to keep up has me laughing at the thought, in the nicest possible way of course.

Henry Kendall
oldpoetry.com/oauthor/show/Henry_Kendall
From this wonderful writer I have chosen the poem THE LAST OF HIS TRIBE
oldpoetry.com/opoem/22414-Henry-Kendall-The-Last-Of-His-Tribe
from the very first line the scene is set. He speaks of a life style coming to an end,  how prophetic was this? The Spear and Boomerang lie silently together and the abject sadness of the man is evident. An incredible feeling overcame me after reading this poem.

Spike Milligan
oldpoetry.com/oauthor/show/Spike_Milligan
Perhaps better known to some people as 1/3 of the well-known 'Goons'. Here we have a  multi-faceted man who lived a life with depression and so many unanswered questions.
He wrote for children in a special way, he's written about the years he spent in the British Army during WW2 but my favourite side of Spike the man is the special talent he had for writing to bring emotions to the surface, in such few words it doesn't seem possible but in this particular poem  he succeeded with aplomb. FEELINGS oldpoetry.com/opoem/21147-Spike-Milligan-Feelings

Wilfred Owen
oldpoetry.com/oauthor/show/Wilfred_Owen
This was a very difficult choice: DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI
oldpoetry.com/opoem/3336-Wilfred-Owen-Dulce-Et-Decorum-Est-Pro-Patria-Mori

"It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. Sweet! and decorous!" is the translation from the Latin title of this poem. Possibly Owen's best known poem but not the reason I personally chose this. This is why:

Quote: "This poem is a description of a gas attack and the resulting dreadful death of one of the men,  his only fault being tired and oblivious to the enemy's gas shells. This man who was seconds too slow in putting on his gas mask dies by choking on his own blood, the reader is spared none of the details. Owen's message I believe was, " If people in England could have witnessed his death then perhaps then they would not say it was sweet to die for one's country." This is (in part) the comment I wrote in December 2005. The poem leaves the reader in no doubt of the abhoration Owen felt for the glory-seekers or the villifiers of the men who had had enough of War.

A B 'Banjo' Paterson
oldpoetry.com/oauthor/show/A_B__Banjo_Paterson
So well known for 'Waltzing Matilda' and 'The Man From Snowy River' and so many other rollicking good stories the poem I have chosen is the 1892 version of Paul McCartney's song 'Will you still love me when I'm 64?

AS LONG AS YOUR EYES ARE BLUE is my choice. oldpoetry.com/opoem/5353-A-B--Banjo-Paterson-As-Long-as-your-Eyes-are-Blue  Why? Well I shall tell you.
When researching the poems of Banjo in the early days of Oldpoetry (2002/3) I had the time of my life finding such treasures as: A Bush Christening; Benjamin Bandicoot; In the Droving Days - oldpoetry.com/opoem/5348-A-B--Banjo-Paterson-In-the-Droving-Days (yet another personal favourite)  and so many more. However this poem stood out as it was so out of character for this man who, together with Henry Lawson became so well known for their 'Battle of the Bush' series of poems, printed in The Bulletin newspaper in late 18th and early 19th century. 'As Long as your Eyes are Blue' speaks to me of a declaration of never-ending love, it's romantic theme pervades the whole poem and leaves the reader (in this case me) enthralled by the whole myriad of mental images.

Taigu Ryokan      allpoetry.com/Column/2214636
oldpoetry.com/oauthor/show/Taigu_Ryokan
I found the poetry of this man quite by accident, Japanese poetry, other than my meagre attempts at Haiku had never been a part of my poetry diet. This man however stood out as if a neon 'read my poetry' sign had been placed over him. I can only thank the unseen powers that led me to him. Such treasures as:

IN A DILAPIDATED THREE-ROOM HUT
oldpoetry.com/opoem/62787-Taigu-Ryokan-In-a-dilapidated-three-room-hut-
burst off the screen, hit me in the face and I'm now hooked.