The Romantics

[Michael]

I think we need to talk about The Romantics; because they have been a huge influence on turning me into a reading and because they are seriously amazing.

Personally my favourite Romantic poet was John Keats and obviously Mary Shelley when picking a favourite novelist.

Not sure if I can pick a favourite poem but the one that started it all was Ode on Melancholy

No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist
Wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine;
Nor suffer thy pale forehead to be kiss'd
By nightshade, ruby grape of Proserpine;
Make not your rosary of yew-berries,
Nor let the beetle, nor the death-moth be
Your mournful Psyche, nor the downy owl
A partner in your sorrow's mysteries;
For shade to shade will come too drowsily,
And drown the wakeful anguish of the soul.

But when the melancholy fit shall fall
Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,
That fosters the droop-headed flowers all,
And hides the green hill in an April shroud;
Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose,
Or on the rainbow of the salt sand-wave,
Or on the wealth of globed peonies;
Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows,
Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave,
And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.

She dwells with Beauty—Beauty that must die;
And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips
Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh,
Turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips:
Ay, in the very temple of Delight
Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shrine,
Though seen of none save him whose strenuous tongue
Can burst Joy's grape against his palate fine;
His soul shalt taste the sadness of her might,
And be among her cloudy trophies hung.

[[deleted user]]

I have a decent collection of John Keats on my bookshelf and I pick it up and read out of it occasionally when I'm in between books. I really love poetry. I need to convince myself to read more of it.
Wait, wait... I love Lord Byron. I read Childe Harold's Pilgrimage when I was 17 or 18 and have a huge Byron anthology that I love. But, again, I need to expand my horizons and incorporate more poetry into my collection of other books.

[Holly]

I bought the massive Romanticism: An Anthology for 75p at a second-hand bookshop. I haven't had a chance to look through it, but I started reason Percy Shelley's 'Prometheus Unbound', which was just beautiful...

[[deleted user]]

I have a Percy Shelley anthology on my Amazon wishlist. It might have to be the next one I get for myself. It's almost time for a new bookshelf and then I'll just have to get a bunch of new books to put on it so it doesn't look too bare.

[Holly]

Excuses, excuses! ;)

I definitely need to read more Romantic poetry... I need to read more of everything...

[Michael]

I have The Portable Romantic Poets: Blake to Poe on my shelf that I break it out all the time

[[deleted user]]

Ugh, I was really just trying to decide what book to get off Amazon and thought I had it figured out until you brought that up. I've got the The Portable Nietzsche and The Portable Voltaire, so it would fit right in... I hate decisions...

[Holly]

It looks like a nice edition, Lissa!

[[deleted user]]

There is a whole, huge collection of "The Portable..." and they are all amazing. I love them all. They're good for if you want to ease your way into a certain author or subject (like The Portable Russian Classics or whatever it's called). I might as well get both. I'm gonna get both.

[Michael]

I need more of the portable collections

[[deleted user]]

I have about a dozen or so sitting in my wish list. It helps that they are as affordable as they are. I've seen collections that aren't nearly as good as the portable ones for twice as much.

[Holly]

I'll definitely have to check them out. They seem really lovely collections!