My Favorite Artistic Works
Thomas Hardy
W. B. Yeats
Favorite Poets
Dylan Thomas
Peter Semolič
Edgar Allan Poe
A. R. Ammons
Robert Frost
Gerard Hopkins
“Toward Clairvoyance” by Alice Fulton
I cannot say that I am fond of Fulton’s maximalist approach to poetry, but despite the lack of rhapsody within her work, this poem is enrapturing with its representation of dust, and uses its density with absolute skill that leaves me amazed.
“Father” by Peter Semolič
“Father” is perhaps, in my honest opinion, one of the best poems ever written. Few poems have moved me as much as this one has. The utterly brilliant imagery of the deer and the dew makes for something that touches the soul immediately.
“Ode to a Large Tuna in a Market” by Pablo Neruda
One of the most passionate writers of all time, Pablo Neruda diverges from his typical heartfelt style and speaks of the noble tuna that has been caught and showcased in the Chilean market. He mourns the majesty of nature’s handiwork.
“Gratitude to the Unknown Instructors” by W. B. Yeats
This short poem uses its space so effectively and with such grace that I cannot help but hold it so highly. Yeats is one of my favorite poets for a good reason; his mastery of the English language ensures his poetry stands above most others.
“Reflective” by A. R. Ammons
This poem acts in a way that pleases me like almost no other. The signature short lines and stanzas of Ammons combined with the curious idea of recognition in something insignificant makes for a beautiful poem that sticks like catchy lyrics of a song.
Favorite Poems
“An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” by W. B. Yeats
Yeats makes a statement on war, and on Ireland as well at this time period. The phrasing of the poem makes for a delightful read that allows one to step into the shoes of an Irish airman conflicted during the chaos of war.
“Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas
It would be preposterous not to include the absolute legendary poem by the legendary poet, Dylan Thomas. From this poem, in beautiful villanelle form, we learn to persist, we learn to fight, we learn to rage, rage against the dying of the light.
“Chuang Tzu And The Butterfly” by Li Bai
This iconic poem introduces a cyclical idea of existence with the wonderful story of the butterfly. This poem combines an ancient curiosity with some natural imagery which makes for an old poem with modern touches of Romanticism and postmodernism.
“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
Favorite Short Stories
“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
Now Is the Time for Running, by Michael Williams
Favorite Books
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin
The Bartimaeus Sequence (The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem’s Eye, Ptolemy’s Gate, The Ring of Solomon), by Jonathan Stroud
The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance, Murtagh), by Christopher Paolini
Piano Concerto No.1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23 by Tchaikovsky
Favorite Musical Compositions
1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky
Piano Sonata No.14 in C-sharp minor (Moonlight Sonata) by Beethoven
Orient et occident, Op. 25 by Camille Saint-Saëns