Showing results for "Bridges" in Themes & Styles

Building Bridges is an anthology showcasing my journey into micro poetry, featuring my previously published haiku, tanka, and tanka prose. Within, I explore small moments from my own backyard and childhood, drawing inspiration from the majestic snow-covered mountains and volcanoes in the North Cascades, as well as the towering giant trees that surround me. The ever-present view of the Puget Sound, which I witness daily while teaching young students, and the rhythmic ocean waves of the Pacific blue, further contribute to the tapestry of my poetic musings.

The Bridge of Fire, which appeared in 1907, was Flecker's first published collection of poetry. It contains 35 poems, a number of which were revised and republished in later collections. As with Flecker's other collections, two persistent themes emerge: the poet's fascination with the glories of Grecian antiquity and his premonitions of an early demise. Flecker seemed to be acutely aware that not only would he pass away himself, but also the fading world of British imperialism of which he was a characteristic representative.

I recorded this the day after we lost one of our beloved pets. Rainbow Bridge is the theme of several works of poetry written in the 1980s and 1990s that speak of an other-worldly place where pets go upon death, eventually to be reunited with their owners. It brings a lump to my throat, and often a tear to my eye but also comfort as I recall good times with Pongo.

Robert Bridges, who was English Poet Laureate between 1913 and 1930, published three versions of his sonnet sequence, The Growth of Love: 1876 - 24 sonnets, 1889 - 79 sonnets, 1898 - 69 sonnets. This recording is of the 1889 edition. The poems are essentially meditations on the elusive subject of love, and display the poet's reverence for his great poetic forebears, particularly Milton and Shakespeare.