Sunday, April 3, 2011

Guest Post: On Rod McKuen

Today's post is brought to you by my mom!!!

I think you are right that poetry is misunderstood as to hard. I wish I had had a teacher who knew how to teach it. Any teacher I had taught that poetry had to rhyme. I don't think that is true.

I think I must have been a poet at heart because I have attempted to write a lot but I always slam dunked it in the trash can after I read what I wrote. I missed the chance to see a famous poet when I was in high school. He came to our school in honor of a student who had been struck and killed by a car as he was walking. The student's name was Jeff Hefner and the poet was Rod McKuen. They must have met earlier. I was sick that day so I missed the experience but I bought a few of his books, which are no longer in my possession. I liked his poetry. One of my favorites is "Thirty-Six."

Note: I also found this Rod McKuen site that discusses the last words of the poem and posts the poem in a slightly different version. Also, I think I might have to steal the idea of missing hearing the poet speak for a poem. Hmm. Thanks, Mom!

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