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Poet’s Corner

Inspired by a poem sent in from an avid reader of Moor Times (see ‘A Word From The Editor’) Poet’s Corner was started to encourage people to send in their most loved poem, whether it be well known or in fact written by themselves it makes no difference. The use of language in poetry, and in song, has always managed to touch people in a way that very few things can and invariably we all have a personal favourite. Here are some that readers have sent in. I hope you like them as well.

Submitted Poems

Remember

My favourite quotation is John Keats, Ode to a Grecian Urn.

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

Arguably the most famous two lines of poetry these seem to be so complete in their perfection it hardly needs the rest of the poem.

As one grows older the poetry one comes across most tends to be 'memorial poetry' encountered at funerals. One of my favourites, Remember by Christina Rossetti (1830 -1894), seems to be of this genre. It is in fact listed as a love poem. I first encountered it some forty years ago when searching for a suitable quotation for a speech of farewell on changing jobs. Utilizing parts of the last six lines had the suitably gratifying result of bringing tears to some eyes, including my own!. I have used it for this purpose a number of times but as my number gets closer to being up, I reflect on the generosity of spirit of this young girl, who had had a troubled life and love life, in saying that she would rather 'you should forget and smile than..... remember and be sad'.

Remember

REMEMBER me when I am gone away,   

Gone far away into the silent land;   

When you can no more hold me by the hand,   

Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.   

Remember me when no more day by day

You tell me of our future that you plann'd:   

Only remember me; you understand   

It will be late to counsel then or pray.   

Yet if you should forget me for a while   

And afterwards remember, do not grieve:

For if the darkness and corruption leave   

A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,   

Better by far you should forget and smile   

Than that you should remember and be sad

Christina Rossetti is also the writer of the words of the carol 'In the bleak Midwinter'.

Philip Kingsley

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