Favourite poet on the english HL course

Slugs

Thought this might be an interesting question to pose, who do you regard as your favourite poet on the english HL course and why?

This might stun a few people, but mine is Keats. I think of all the poets, he takes a very unique and interesting view on many of the themes typical of poetry, he portrays and discusses in a very intelligent manner, (without appearing like a self righteous stuck up prick like yeats) and has many themes I can relate to.

And yourself?

Edit: Added Poll

zam

Derek Walcott

It's gotta be Longley! Not much of a poetry fan to be honest but if I had to say! Love Kavanagh too.

HATE YEATS

Slugs

Eavan Boland

Gotta agree, can't stand Yeats, or Rich

Ruski

Michael Longley

Eliot. His poetry seems less personal, but more narrative and satire. I enjoy reading his longer poems.

I'm also a bit of a Walcott fan.

I also love writing about Boland. She has to be the easiest poet to talk about.



What you have to take into account is that you have to learn to love the poets which are likely to come up. Those being Boland, Yeats, Eliot, and maybe either Longley or Kavanagh.

Slugs

Eavan Boland

Ruski wrote: »

Eliot. His poetry seems less personal, but more narrative and satire. I enjoy reading his longer poems.

I'm also a bit of a Walcott fan.

I also love writing about Boland. She has to be the easiest poet to talk about.



What you have to take into account is that you have to learn to love the poets which are likely to come up. Those being Boland, Yeats, Eliot, and maybe either Longley or Kavanagh.

Well I mean, I've no problem talking about Longley or Boland, because they're just so predictable. But liking them? I think that's pushing it just a bit too far :P

Ruski

Michael Longley

Slugs wrote: »

Well I mean, I've no problem talking about Longley or Boland, because they're just so predictable. But liking them? I think that's pushing it just a bit too far :P

There's no point talking positively about something that you don't feel partial to. There must be something to like in every poet. Unless they're overrated, eg. Longley. Nothing against him but he just seems to be the Leaving Cert student 'mainstream'.

seriousfizz

W.B. Yeats

It was between Yeats and Kavanagh for me. Some of the content of their poems is similar and I can relate to them both But as has been said before, Yeats just seems a little too into himself sometimes. So I went with Kavanagh

EDIT: Just for the sake of it, I think Michael Longley's poetry is some of the most boring poetry I've ever come across. Totally flat.

Slugs

Eavan Boland

That's because he's plain and simple. War, marriage, racism, reverence for classic literature and wahhhhh my daddy and I didn't connect (which he doesn't STFU ABOUT!!!!:mad:). It's easy to see why he's a mainstream, he's just plain and simple, which is precisely why I'm reluctant to do him if I can help it.

DancingQueen:)

Adrienne Rich

I like Kavanagh and Boland but I think Boland is easier to write about so I chose her, really hoping either of these come up in June.

Slugs

Eavan Boland

I have a huge problem with Kavanagh. It's not that I don't like him, I love his very naturalistic and intelligent outlook, and I really respect him as a poet, but I just can't relate to him in the slightest... I don't know, I just find it difficult to take in anything he's discussing or highlighting... Anyone else feel the same way about his or anyone else's poetry?

DancingQueen:)

Adrienne Rich

Slugs wrote: »

Anyone else feel the same way about his or anyone else's poetry?

I'm like this with Keats. I like how his poetry is romantic but I just find it really difficult to understand, maybe that's because it was so long ago the language is more complicated. It doesn't help that i'm racing through it in class but if he comes up in June I won't be writing about him.

Slugs

Eavan Boland

DancingQueen:) wrote: »

I'm like this with Keats. I like how his poetry is romantic but I just find it really difficult to understand, maybe that's because it was so long ago the language is more complicated. It doesn't help that i'm racing through it in class but if he comes up in June I won't be writing about him.

Well what poets you gonna be doing? I'll be deciding who I'll drop over the May bank holiday

DancingQueen:)

Adrienne Rich

Slugs wrote: »

Well what poets you gonna be doing? I'll be deciding who I'll drop over the May bank holiday

Boland's my first choice, then Kavanagh. Not sure after that. I havn't finished Yeats and not going to do Keats. So it's either Longley or T.S Eliot I'm starting Rich in a week or two aswel(I think it's too much to do 7 poets but what my teacher says goes). Hopefully one of my first two choices comes up.

Slugs

Eavan Boland

Well I think 7 is a bit too much. 6 is the safest bet, because that guarantees you a minimum of 2, but anything less than 6 and you're really trying your luck... o.O

gloryutd

Adrienne Rich

People choosing Longley having a laugh, surely? The fact he goes by the profession of 'poet' is a crime.

FWIW, we've done 7 poets, all but Elliot. I'll be studying Boland, Yeats and Kavanagh. Seem the most likely to come up other than Elliot (haven't done) and Longley (who I refuse to do).

DancingQueen:)

Adrienne Rich

Sure it doesn't even matter how many poets you've done, it matters how well you know the poets work and how you adapt your knowledge to the question and all that. There's no point looking at the paper in June and seeing a poet you've covered and not knowing how to answer the question :eek:

Slugs

Eavan Boland

DancingQueen:) wrote: »

Sure it doesn't even matter how many poets you've done, it matters how well you know the poets work and how you adapt your knowledge to the question and all that. There's no point looking at the paper in June and seeing a poet you've covered and not knowing how to answer the question :eek:

Fair point, but that's a lot easier said then done. You need to be able to relate to the poet, or at the very least have an opinion on him/her

DancingQueen:)

Adrienne Rich

Slugs wrote: »

Fair point, but that's a lot easier said then done. You need to be able to relate to the poet, or at the very least have an opinion on him/her

Definitely true, it has to be personal aswel which is quite difficult to keep up throughout the essay. Just practise I guess.

Slugs

Eavan Boland

DancingQueen:) wrote: »

Definitely true, it has to be personal aswel which is quite difficult to keep up throughout the essay. Just practise I guess.

Or some big time, major league bull****. :P

DancingQueen:)

Adrienne Rich

Slugs wrote: »

Or some big time, major league bull****. :P

Yeah that's usually the way it goes, the first thing that comes into my head normally.:cool: When you only have a certain time to write it gets hard to remember everything so it never really goes to plan.

Diabhal Beag

W.B. Yeats

Kavanagh is such an interesting poet. The only reason I like poetry.

seriousfizz

W.B. Yeats

gloryutd wrote: »

The fact he [Longley] goes by the profession of 'poet' is a crime.

I was thinking of saying this, and even though it does seem a little elitist, I have to agree. Although I'm not gonna hate on people who write about him.

Slugs

Eavan Boland

seriousfizz wrote: »

I was thinking of saying this, and even though it does seem a little elitist, I have to agree. Although I'm not gonna hate on people who write about him.

Fine, then I'll do the honours

W.B. Yeats

Completely love Kavanagh...have since read loads of his other poetry. Such an honest, simple yet original approach to poetry.

Slugs

Eavan Boland

I'm glad to see there's no one for yeats yet ^^ :P

unknown13

Derek Walcott

Michael Longley

lc2010

T.S. Eliot

Adrienne Rich FTW!!!!!
Can't say I'm a fan of any of the poets but I find her the easiest to write about. You just have to stop yourself from writing an essay about feminism!
No 2. has got to be Boland. Again its clear what she's trying to say.
| Absolutely hate Yeats and Elliot.
Paddy Kavanagh isn't bad although I'd say he was a right a*****e when he was around!

anothernight

John Keats

I love Yeats and Eliot. Really hoping Yeats comes up. Walcott is nice too. I like some of Longley's poetry, but the selection we learned for school is quite bad.

ihavequestions

Eavan Boland

Slugs wrote: »

Thought this might be an interesting question to pose, who do you regard as your favourite poet on the english HL course and why?

This might stun a few people, but mine is Keats. I think of all the poets, he takes a very unique and interesting view on many of the themes typical of poetry, he portrays and discusses in a very intelligent manner, (without appearing like a self righteous stuck up prick like yeats) and has many themes I can relate to.

And yourself?

Edit: Added Poll

I agree with you completely !! I LOVE Keats like his poems are just soo amazing like the language is transfixing !
I'm really hoping for him to come up this year, but would like Eliot and Boland to come up too for a bit of choice in case the questions are a bit dodgy !

Michaelrsh

I think you guy are lucky this year, the amount of lesbian moaners on last years LC.

Slugs

Eavan Boland

Aye, I heard last years poems were the most depressing bunch ever...

keenan110

W.B. Yeats

I'm a Kavanagh man myself!

johnmcdnl

John Keats

Slugs wrote: »

Well I think 7 is a bit too much. 6 is the safest bet, because that guarantees you a minimum of 2, but anything less than 6 and you're really trying your luck... o.O

Well i'm execting a woman poet or else the gender equality crowd will be up in arms so that's 2.. pity I'd burn Rich is the only problem but sur... gonna do yeats and kavanagh in case I have to..

but my teacher reckons that doing 2 women and your sound... either that or do all the irish poets because there's surely gonna be an irish poet on an irish leaving cert paper

Slugs

Eavan Boland

Well as I said to myself, there are 4 Irish poets, and two woman poets, one of the 5 of those is bound to come up...

validusername

Eavan Boland

Yeah, Boland and Longley's poetry are easy to write about but I don't their poems. Rather boring to be honest!

I like Keats the best, the themes he discusses and his approach on them are far more interesting compared to the others and he is certainly not at all repetitive...*cough*..Rich.*cough*..

Oh, and I don't like Kavanagh. He complains and loves himself too much. :pac:

OoOROiSiNOoO

John Keats

Yeats!!!!! You could write an essay on one of his poems alone he's so easy to write on

seriousfizz

W.B. Yeats

OoOROiSiNOoO wrote: »

Yeats!!!!! You could write an essay on one of his poems alone he's so easy to write on

Glad to see some of yis are up for Yeats! I agree with what you said there, I've only written on Yeats for the past few English exams, the mocks included, I quite enjoy writing about him myself!

Reckoner91

Michael Longley

T.S. Eliot, because his poems are so long and absolutely filled with amazing language and imagery, its just so relentless, each line is a tiny masterpiece. The stream of consciousness that he uses is so clever and believable, I can't get enough of him.
But STUDYING him...well...that's another story.

juliancallan

Derek Walcott

I'm a fan of Longley but we didn't do him for our course. Damn shame.

Slugs

W.B. Yeats

Slugs wrote: »

Well as I said to myself, there are 4 Irish poets, and two woman poets, one of the 5 of those is bound to come up...

My class have done Kavanagh, Yeats, Longley and Boland. That's all the Irish poets I think, happy days! Doing Eliot too I think...

RoRoCullen

Adrienne Rich

I can't choose between Boland, Longley and Rick! Amazing poets.. I hate Kavanagh and Keats.

JellyBeans92

Michael Longley

I wonder how many people would be saying Boland now?!

**Timbuk2**

It's not Boland's fault that she wasn't on the paper!

JellyBeans92

Michael Longley

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

It's not Boland's fault that she wasn't on the paper!

I know that, but it's still pretty funny, because so many people only seemed to learn her, without learning Rich.. Never try to shortcut a shortcut.

MaggieNF

John Keats

YEATS weirdly enough, his poetry is interesting to read, style is different, causes you to actually think about stuff LOLZ

EuropeanSon

Walcott, by light years.

An extremely distant joint second are Yeats and Kavanagh.

Haven't done Eliot or Keats, but both seem far more interesting than the remainder. Rich is a horribly whiny lesbian bitch. Boland talks and talks and says absolutely nothing, and Longley is just awful.

dee o gee

Adrienne Rich

Never done keats, wallcott or elliot. Rich's poetry is annoying as f*ck but easy enough to write on, Im female so I can add in the 'Im a woman so I can relate to her' line. I like boland but thank god I wasn't one of the ones to only learn her, she's easy to write on, as is kavanagh and sometimes yeats. I never liked longley for some reason.
Still don't know why im still writing in the present as Iv done my last ever poetry essay, and never have to look at rich's horribly feminest poetry again. Unless I repeat that is.

Indigo Sunrise

Michael Longley

Eliot ftw
"let us go then you and I
when the evening is spread out against the sky
like a patient etherized upon a table"

I find the rest very boring though, especially Kavanagh. Walcott seems interesting but I didn't do him.

muffinz

Adrienne Rich

boland. her poems are so easy to understand i love em!

Victoria.

Michael Longley

Eliot
Wrote 8.5 pages on him in the exam.
I love his poetry!

bubblz

W.B. Yeats

this year i can't choose what poet i like the most...maybe kavanagh but its more kavanagh himself i find interesting as opposed to his poetry.. boland is boring ... & i hate eliot...
Last year i loved studying Montague... he was so interesting and his themes ranged from love to the relationships with his parents..