So, I haven’t posted too regularly in the past two weeks. There are a couple of reasons for that. I am in my final semester of graduate school for MLIS, and they are the sort of classes you should really take one at a time. Only I didn’t know that when I registered. I’ve had one major project after another between the two. I will be done May 1, so I expect the frequency of posts will pick up a bit after that.
On top of that, I was preparing for my comprehensive exams, a graduation requirement for my program. That was this past Saturday. I’ll know in a couple of weeks if I passed. Toes crossed!
I have been (slowly) reading two books in between class reading and professional reading. One was Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce. I devoted myself to it this weekend and finished last night. I will have a review soon — once I finish the paper that is due at the end of this week!
In the meantime, I wanted to post a poem. I may have missed Poetry Friday, but it is still National Poetry Month!
My students have finished their poetry trailers (see my post for “There Will Come Soft Rains”) and we are watching them this week. I was impressed by one student’s trailer for “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. I am hoping he will give me permission to share it here.
More importantly, another trailer did its job; it intrigued me. So below I am sharing “I loved you first” by Christina Rossetti. The painting is entitled “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” by Pre-Raphelite artist John William Waterhouse, included because the two go so well together!
I loved you first: but afterwards your love
Outsoaring mine, sang such a loftier song
As drowned the friendly cooings of my dove.
Which owes the other most? my love was long,
And yours one moment seemed to wax more strong;
I loved and guessed at you, you construed me
And loved me for what might or might not be –
Nay, weights and measures do us both a wrong.
For verily love knows not ‘mine’ or ‘thine;’
With separate ‘I’ and ‘thou’ free love has done,
For one is both and both are one in love:
Rich love knows nought of ‘thine that is not mine;’
Both have the strength and both the length thereof,
Both of us, of the love which makes us one.
The Cazzy Files 