Today, I’m over at writing to be read with a slightly different post for Treasuring Poetry. I have shared two of my own favourite poems, If by Rudyard Kipling and The Listeners by Walter de la Mare. I’ve also given you a sneak peak into my forthcoming poetry book.
This month I am featuring my own favourite poems and a poem and picture from my forthcoming poetry book, Behind Closed Doors. I hadn’t intended to feature my own work this month, but sometimes life happens and so I am making the best of it.
If by Rudyard Kipling
I love the poem If by Rudyard Kipling because it is so inspiring and uplifting. The objective of the poem was to give his son advice and instruction on how to live a happy and successful life. I relate strongly to this advice possibly because I have two sons.
My favourite lines are as follows:
“If you can bear to hear the truth you have spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools.”
The first two lines above warn that…
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Robbie's inspiration 
I LOVE The Listeners!
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I am so pleased to know that, Elizabeth. Out of the two, my favourite favourite is The Listeners.
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I left a comment there, and shared both posts on Twitter, Robbie.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you, Pete. Much appreciated.
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I also love The listener! Thank you for the recitation, Robbie! It makes a great difference, to only reading it. Have a beautiful weekend! xx Michael
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Hi Michael, I am so happy to hear that you liked the readings. I think it makes the poems more interesting to hear them read by someone who loves them.
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Excellent, Robbie. It’s also good to see your next book coming closer to publication. Hugs on the wing!
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Hi Teagan, thanks for visiting. It is nice to be nearly there. I have so much on the go at the moment and everyone is ill in my family. Terence’s grandmother, my dad and Michael has only just recovered.
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I memorized “If” in seventh grade one week. When I was in school we had to routinely memorize poems of our choice. I never realized that it was about becoming a man, and always thought it applied just as well to me.
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I always took it that way too, Elizabeth, but lots of others don’t. At the time of writing women were considered to be rather silly creatures who needed men to lean on.
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Also I think as a kid I understood that “man” was used for both men and women.
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Excellent! Big fan of Kipling. He was so talented. Now I want to revisit more his work.
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I like Kipling too, Cindy, although he does have some controversial poems, including White Man’s Burden and The Old Issue, a propaganda poem in which he slatted the South African Boers.
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Good to hear you read, Robbie. You have a lovely reading voice. Congratulations on your new release of poetry.
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Thank you, Miriam.
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You’re welcome, Robbie.
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I still can’t do half of what he says is required to become a man. Sigh. I haven’t given up!
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I am sure that is not true, Jacqui. Anyhow, women can multitask so we have to double up the requirements [smile].
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Hehee
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Fantastic poems, Robbie and it is always a pleasure to listen to you reading the poems. You have a beautiful voice. Hearty congratulations and Teagan has done a great job with the cover of your book. Great going.
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Thank you, Kamal. I am glad you enjoyed my readings. I appreciate your kind comment.
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I haven’t read “If” in ages. Lovely choices, Robbie!
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I am glad you enjoyed the poems, Jennie.
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Me, too. Thank you, Robbie.
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