Rebecca's Reading Room
Jan 14, 2022
Welcoming 2022 with Love Song by Rainer Maria Rilke
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S2 E3: Welcoming 2022 with Love Song by Rainer Maria Rilke
Photography and Poetry Recitation by Rebecca Budd Music by David Celeste “The Bloom of Her Skin” #EpidemicSound
Love Song by Rainer Maria Rilke (Public Domain)
How can I keep my soul in me, so that
it doesn't touch your soul? How can I raise
it high enough, past you, to other things?
I would like to shelter it, among remote
lost objects, in some dark and silent place
that doesn't resonate when your depths resound.
Yet everything that touches us, me and you,
takes us together like a violin's bow,
which draws one voice out of two separate strings.
Upon what instrument are we two spanned?
And what musician holds us in his hand?
Oh sweetest song.
More episodes from Rebecca's Reading Room
Mar 21, 2023
Celebrating World Poetry Day with Carrie Williams Clifford
S3 E3: Celebrating World Poetry Day with Carrie Williams Clifford
March 21, 2023 marks the celebration of World Poetry Day.
This day was established by UNESCO in 1999 to promote the reading, writing, and teaching of poetry worldwide. The celebration aims to recognize the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind and to promote cultural exchange and understanding. On this day, people from all over the world come together to appreciate the beauty and power of poetry, and to reflect on its importance in our lives.
Carrie Williams Clifford was an American poet who lived from 1862 to 1934. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, she began writing poetry at a young age. Clifford published her first collection of poetry, "The Widening Light," in 1893 and went on to publish several more collections throughout her career. Her poetry often explored themes of nature, spirituality, and the human experience. She was an active member of the women's suffrage movement and used her poetry to advocate for women's rights.
Quest by Carrie Williams Clifford
My goal out-distances the utmost star,
Yet is encompassed in my inmost Soul;
I am my goal—my quest, to know myself.
To chart and compass this unfathomed sea,
Myself must plumb the boundless universe.
My Soul contains all thought, all mystery,
All wisdom of the Great Infinite Mind:
This is to discover, I must voyage far,
At last to find it in my pulsing heart.
This poem is in the public domain.
Music by Jo Wandrini “Puzzle of Complexity” Epidemic Sound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/ctczJjeHrf/
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Feb 25, 2023
Spring Morning by Marion Strobel
S3 E2: Spring Morning by Marion Strobel
O day—if I could cup my hands and drink of you,
And make this shining wonder be
A part of me!
O day! O day!
You lift and sway your colors on the sky
Till I am crushed with beauty. Why is there
More of reeling sunlit air
Than I can breathe? Why is there sound
In silence? Why is a singing wound
About each hour?
And perfume when there is no flower?
O day! O Day! How may I press
Nearer to loveliness?
This poem is in the public domain.
Marion Strobel was a poet born in 1895. She was an influential figure in the early 20th century, and her work was widely read and appreciated. She wrote about a variety of topics, including love, nature, and the human experience. Her work was often characterized by its lyrical beauty and emotional depth.
Music by Benjamin King “Like Clockwork” #EpidemicSound
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/uq38LkIbas/
Location: Vancouver Sea Wall, British Columbia
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Feb 19, 2023
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
S3 E1 Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is one of his most famous and beloved poems. Written in 1922, it is a short, four-stanza poem that paints a vivid picture of a traveler who stops to admire the beauty of a snowy evening in the wooded area.
The poem is filled with imagery and symbolism, and its themes of death and mortality have been widely discussed and analyzed. I believe this poem speaks of our connection with time. There is a profound awareness of what it means to be alive within the confines of a finite existence.
The poem is thought to be inspired by Frost’s own experience of living in rural New England. Frost was a farmer and he was familiar with the beauty of the countryside. He was also aware of the dangers of the wilderness, which is why the poem is so full of tension. The traveler is tempted to stay in the woods, but he knows he must continue on his journey.
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” captures the beauty and mystery of the natural world. I believe Robert Frost reminds us to appreciate the beauty of nature. This poem has been a source of inspiration for many, and it continues to be one of his most beloved works.
Please join me in reciting “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Photography and Poetry Recitation by Rebecca Budd
Music by Francis Wells “What My Hands Can’t Hold” #EpidemicSound
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/zzB8lc76Ur/
Location: Vancouver Seawall
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