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Lambeth Libraries: a poetry side-dish | 18-Jan-07
Two for one offer for readers' groups!
During the Poetry International festival, held at the Southbank Centre, the home of the Poetry Library, Lambeth Libraries readers groups read poems chosen by the Festival poets.
Below, readers' groups from Lambeth can find links to poems that explore issues or settings also found in the books they are reading. Why not read the poem together at your meeting? For ideas about discussing poetry, see poet-in-residence Lemn Sissay's suggestions here. If you would like to read more poetry with your group, why not take a look at our webpage for readers' groups?
Harbor by Lorraine Adams
Here are two poems about America's traditional welcome:
Emma Lazarus, 'The New Colossus'
and
Unknown, 'America Greets an Alien'
Hail guest! We ask not what thou art.
If friend, we greet thee hand and heart;
If stranger, such no longer be;
If foe, our love shall conquer thee.
Found in Patriotic Poems (Contemporary Books, 1986)
How do these poems relate to the experiences of Aziz in Harbor?
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was inspired to write about her own country by reading the great Nigerian novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Read a poem by Chinua Achebe here.
Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster
The author of Brooklyn Follies is also a poet and translator of poetry. Read some of his poems and translations on the Poetry Library's www.poetrymagazines.org.uk website.
New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
The author of New York Trilogy is also a poet and translator of poetry. Read some of his poems and translations on the Poetry Library's www.poetrymagazines.org.uk website.
The Sea by John Banville
To deal with heartbreak, Max goes away to the coast. For the prize-winning poet Don Paterson, this is a natural reaction to grief. Listen to him read and talk about his poem 'Luing'.
A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry
Sebastian Barry tells of the experience of soldiers in the First World War. One of the most famous poets to write about soldiers' experiences is Wilfred Owen. Read his war poetry here.
Theft by Peter Carey
Theft is set in the art world. What is your experience of paintings? Gill Rennard describes 'The National Gallery on the First Day of a Heat Wave'.
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
A book inspired by the artist Vermeer. Can you make out this poem made up of artists' names?
Slow Man by JM Coetzee
Slow Man relates the effects of an accident on the life of the main character. Elaine Feinstein writes in her poem 'Wheelchair' how positive experiences can come out of an accident. For more poetry on illness and recovery, try The Poetry Cure.
Treading Water by Claire Collison
Wes Magee deals with a child's reaction to bereavement in his poem 'Until Gran Died'.
Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham
Read the poems of Walt Whitman here.
Lazy Eye by Donna Daley-Clarke
Do any of these flat-dwellers lead a life like Geoffhurst's? Read 'Magdala Mansions - Storeys' on www.poetrymagazines.org.uk.
Watch Me Disappear by Jill Dawson
Tina is an expert on the marine environment. But what about less academic reactions to the sea? Jack Mapanje tells of his family's visit to the beach in 'The Seashells of Bridlington North Beach'.
The Jigsaw Maker by Adrienne Dines
Yvonne Baker pieces her life together in her poem 'Jigsaw'.
Soul Tourists by Bernardine Evaristo
Stanley and Jessie go on a road trip across Europe. But is travel always the answer? Try Charles Tomlinson's poem 'Against Travel'.
The Island by Victoria Hislop
The main character in The Island travels to Greece. You can read poems by Greek poets at www.poetryinternational.org. Try 'Long Ago' by Constantine Cavafy.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
At the centre of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel are relationships - personal and institutional. Here are the poet A.R. Ammons' thoughts on relationships: 'Greeting Verses'.
Moses, Citizen and Me by Delia Jarrett-Macaulay
Alongside this novel whose background is civil war in Sierra Leone, read James Fenton's poem about war, 'Blood and Lead'.
Broken Biscuits by Liz Kettle
Jodie and Agnes are seen as eccentric, different. How do people react to those of us who might behave differently in public? Read TS Eliot's account in his poem 'Hysteria'.
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
Read poems by Ukrainian poets on Poetry International Web. Try 'The Bald Neighbour Boy From Your Childhood' by Halyna Krouk.
Beyond Black by Hilary Mantell
Are ghosts or spirits really part of our lives? Read Michael Donaghy's experience of such a presence in 'Haunts'.
Hash by Torgny Lindgren
What is the nature of truth and what are lies? The protagonist of Hash has his own ideas. For more, try 'Cooking Up Lies' by Ann Biddle.
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
Read a poem about school life: 'Passing a School Playground' by Felix Dennis.
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Read a poem by an Iranian poet on www.poetrymagazines.org.uk: 'Haven' by Shadab Vajdi.
Rules of Perspective by Adam Thorpe
As well as novels, Adam Thorpe is also a playwright and a poet. Read his poem about a painting by Edvard Munch here.
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