Dave Laird: Poetry

Poetry

I've recently become a big fan of poetry. I consider it to be the most refined form of written communication (though certainly not the most effective). I'd eventually like to write some of my own poetry. Before attempting anything, I decided to do a bunch of research first and read a lot of poetry to develop some influences. I also wanted to see what sort of style I like the most. I've got quite a few favourites, some of which I've listed here:

Author Title

Robert W. Service The Cremation of Sam McGee
This is my favourite poem on Earth. My father used to read this poem to my brother and I when we were young. The poem is very entertaining with a great twist at the end. One of the things I love so much about this poem are the descriptions of the scenery in the area, and of the bitter cold of the Canadian North. A fascinating, gripping read.
The Shooting of Dan McGrew
Another great, entertaining poem by Robert Service. This was the first major poem he wrote. It has a very similar style to The Cremation of Sam McGee.

The Spell of the Yukon
This poem has more fantastic descriptions of Northern Canada in the early 1900's.

Sam Walter Foss The Calf-Path
I like this poem because it makes people think about what they're doing with their lives. It's a bit moralistic, but it's still entertaining.

Edgar Allan Poe The Raven
An absolute classic. This poem has some of the best cadence of any poem I've ever read. It is extremely well suited to reading aloud. This is one poem I'm particularly looking forward to release in mp3 form here. One Hallowe'en episode of the Simpson's had a presentation of The Raven with Homer as the main character and Bart as the Raven. Hilarious. The poem itself, however, is pretty grim.

Banjo Patterson Waltzing Matilda
Banjo Patterson is probably Australia's most famous poet, and this is probably his most famous poem. It's far better known than the Australian National Anthem, and foreigners often mistake it to be so.
The Man from Snowy River
Though not as well known as Waltzing Matilda, Australians seem to cherish this poem more than any other. It's a great story, and works particularly well as a performance piece. Mp3 coming soon.

Clancy of the Overflow
The story of a man in a city with absolute envy of a drover named Clancy who lives out in the bush and never has to deal with all the crap in cities. A feeling I certainly get every once in a while.

The Geebung Polo Club
The very improbable tale of a polo club from a small bush town which battles a pompous rival polo club. Very funny!

I've been trying to memorise several of these poems, and I absolutely love reciting them for anyone who will listen. I've been told a few times by different people that I have a great voice for radio (and a face to match!) so I've come up with the idea of making mp3 files of me reciting these poems. As a further excuse, I find it helps to have some inflection behind a poem for people to understand what it means. So, stay tuned.

Absolute Design | Dave Laird | Poetry

Updated: 10/16-00

Author		Title

Robert W. Service		The Cremation of Sam McGee This is my favourite poem on Earth. My father used to read this poem to my brother and I when we were young. The poem is very entertaining with a great twist at the end. One of the things I love so much about this poem are the descriptions of the scenery in the area, and of the bitter cold of the Canadian North. A fascinating, gripping read. The Shooting of Dan McGrew Another great, entertaining poem by Robert Service. This was the first major poem he wrote. It has a very similar style to The Cremation of Sam McGee. The Spell of the Yukon This poem has more fantastic descriptions of Northern Canada in the early 1900's.

Sam Walter Foss		The Calf-Path I like this poem because it makes people think about what they're doing with their lives. It's a bit moralistic, but it's still entertaining.

Edgar Allan Poe		The Raven An absolute classic. This poem has some of the best cadence of any poem I've ever read. It is extremely well suited to reading aloud. This is one poem I'm particularly looking forward to release in mp3 form here. One Hallowe'en episode of the Simpson's had a presentation of The Raven with Homer as the main character and Bart as the Raven. Hilarious. The poem itself, however, is pretty grim.

Banjo Patterson		Waltzing Matilda Banjo Patterson is probably Australia's most famous poet, and this is probably his most famous poem. It's far better known than the Australian National Anthem, and foreigners often mistake it to be so. The Man from Snowy River Though not as well known as Waltzing Matilda, Australians seem to cherish this poem more than any other. It's a great story, and works particularly well as a performance piece. Mp3 coming soon. Clancy of the Overflow The story of a man in a city with absolute envy of a drover named Clancy who lives out in the bush and never has to deal with all the crap in cities. A feeling I certainly get every once in a while. The Geebung Polo Club The very improbable tale of a polo club from a small bush town which battles a pompous rival polo club. Very funny!