Goal # 3: Read 1 Book of Poetry

I have completed this one! I read Sonnets of the Portuguese and The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Although, I preferred the liveliness and vibrancy of Dickinson’s poetry to the rigid form of the sonnet. But, I think the way Browning speaks to and about the man she loves is beautiful. These two collections also tick off two books from the Gilmore Girls book list.

Update from February 19, 2020: In addition to Browning and Dickinson, I have read a large number of poems written by Dorothy Parker. In The Portable Dorothy Parker, there is a collection of her poetry. Alexander Woollcott once said, “That bird only sings when she’s unhappy” about Dorothy Parker. It is true that much of her work speaks to her sadness, depression, and losses. But, there is also a strong, witty, ironic, feminist voice there, too. Woollcott’s quote brings to mind Maya Angelou’s book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Perhaps writing for Angelou and Parker was a way to make sense of, examine, and live through the difficult (to say it mildly) times. I know there is more to come about Dorothy Parker because, to be honest, her writing fascinates me.