Friday, December 13, 2013

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
~Christina Rossetti


Welcome! It's time for Poetry Friday. If you've come to share a link, please do so in the comments and I will round-up during the day. I've got Christina Rossetti's In the Bleak Mid-winter today, which was set to music by Gustav Holst.




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* Fats is sharing a few verses from Pearl Cleage's "We Speak Your Names," celebrating womanhood and the gift of sisterhood.

* Donna has a silly Christmas poem for us.

* Margaret is offering a give away of her Christmas poetry book, Illuminate, along with an original poem and recording of "In the Bleak Midwinter."

* At Random Noodling, Diane has a small collection of door haiga.

* Kurious Kitty shares "The Sniffle" by Ogden Nash.

* KK's Kwotes posts a quote by Ray Bradbury.

* Robyn continues with a haiku theme, kicking off a "Student Poet of the Month" adventure featuring Tom Painting's haiku students. Starting us off is 8th grader Emma Jones.

* Keri contributes the winner of last week's giveaway and some "story rules" from a former Pixar artist.

* Michelle shares "The Flight Before Christmas" -- her entry for Susanna Leonard Hill's Holiday Writing Contest.

* Father Goose is celebrating the "Holly Days."

* Renee is in with another installment of the NCTE Poets Series with Lee Bennett Hopkins, this time featuring Myra Cohn Livingston.

* Joy is thinking about creation and the wonderful way writing a poem makes her feel, and she also has a poetry challenge.

* Over at The Drift Record, Julie is seeing a strange convergence between a poem by Walter de la Mare and peppermint bark candy.

* Mary Lee shares a couple of haiku for the Friday that's a week away from Winter Break. (My kids would call that "Winter Break Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve Day")

* Author Kelly Bingham visits Laura's blog to talk about her Shark Girl verse novels and her picture book, Z Is for Moose.

* Jama brings us "The Cookie Thief" and some thoughts about the first cookie she ever baked.

* Tara offers Grace Paley, poetry, and pies.

* Liz has some sweet Christmas cookie haiku.

* Mandy is reflecting on a snow day with an original poem.

* Laura Purdie Salas is in today with "Schoolhouse" by Cynthia Grady.

* Irene is thinking about writing as spiritual practice, plus she shares "Instructions for the Journey" by Pat Schneider.

* Dori's poem is by Nikki Grimes from her book Voices of Christmas.

* Linda shares a picture book/Christmas poem by Maya Angelou.

* Violet posted an original poem called Christmas on the West Coast.

* Carmela discusses three of her favorite books from 2013 and includes a poem from Helen Frost's SALT.

* Catherine offers Denise Levertov's "The Secret."

* Jeannine wrote a post about revising called Poetry and Houses.

* After several months away from blogging, Elaine returns with an original poem for the season titled "Under the Tree."

* Tricia is in today with a poem by Amy Lowell entitled "Superstition."

* This week, Anastasia visited Jone's blog, where Jone shared Anastasia's new haiku, "Last Leaf."

* Jone adds, "This is a follow-up to her interview on Wednesday."

* Little Willow gives us "Unfading Pictures" by Louisa C. Poole.

* Janet's selection is "Sharing the Seasons: a book of poems," selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by David Diaz.

* Amy has a mask poem in the voice of a (her?) Christmas tree.

33 comments:

  1. Oh, what a lovely poem, and what beautiful videos. I love this set to music. Thanks for sharing, and for hosting. I have a silly Christmas poem today at http://mainelywrite.blogspot.com/2013/12/all-through-zoo.html.

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  2. Thanks for hosting Poetry Friday today! What lovely verses you've shared! My favorite lines are "Earth stood hard as iron / Water like a stone." This Friday the 13th, I am sharing a few verses from Pearl Cleage's poem, We Speak Your Names. It celebrates womahood and the gift of sisterhood. =)

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  3. Oopsie! Forgot the link! Here it is:
    https://www.facebook.com/thebluefaerie/posts/10151999739788700?notif_t=like

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  4. Oh, Tabatha - I love hearing Rosetti put to music! Thanks for posting that.
    Over at The Drift Record today, I am seeing a strange convergence between a poem by Walter de la Mare and peppermint bark candy.

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  5. Link is clickable in my previous comment, but here is the URL if needed:
    http://julielarios.blogspot.com/2013/12/poetry-friday-time-for-bit-of-walter-de.html

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  6. I'll come back to listen to the music later.

    Today I've got a couple of haiku for the Friday that's a week away from Winter Break.

    http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2013/12/poetry-friday-plowing.html

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  7. Good morning, Tabatha. Thank you for the beautiful music.

    Author Kelly Bingham visits my blog today to talk about her Shark Girl verse novels and her hilarious PB, Z Is for Moose.

    http://authoramok.blogspot.com/2013/12/5-questions-for-kelly-bingham-part-2.html

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  8. One of my holiday favorites! Also love James Taylor's version.

    Today I'm sharing "The Cookie Thief" and some thoughts about the first cookie I ever baked:

    http://jamarattigan.com/2013/12/13/friday-feast-snickerdoodlin-around/

    Thanks for hosting today and have a beautiful holiday!

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  9. Thanks for hosting today, Tabatha - I'll come back to listen to the music at lunch. Here's my offering for Poetry Friday - Grace Paley, poetry and pies:
    http://tmsteach.blogspot.com/2013/12/poetry-friday-grace-paley-poets.html

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  10. Hi Tabatha,
    Thanks for hosting today!
    I have some sweet Christmas cookie haiku.
    http://elizabethsteinglass.com/2013/12/christmas-cookie-haiku/

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  11. I have an original poem reflecting on a snow day.

    http://enjoy-embracelearning.blogspot.com/2013/12/poetry-friday-snow-day.html

    Thanks for organizing.

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  12. I was listening to the Jars of Clay version of Bleak last night! Such a gorgeous poem! I'm in today with "Schoolhouse," by Cynthia Grady at http://www.laurasalas.com/blog/pf-schoolhouse/

    Thanks for hosting!

    Thanks for hosting!
    Laura

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  13. Dear Tabatha, I always come away from your blog with a wow... you help me discover new things and music! Thank you. I'm in today with some thoughts on writing as spiritual practice and a poem "Instructions for the Journey" by Pat Schneider

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  14. I do love that poem/song.

    I have a poem by Nikki Grimes today from her book Voices of Christmas.

    http://dorireads.blogspot.com/2013/12/voices-of-christmas.html

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  15. It's a lovely poem, especially nice with the music, Tabatha. It would have been quite fitting a week or so ago with our sub-zero temps! Thanks for hosting! I'm sharing a picture book/Christmas poem by Maya Angelou today. http://www.teacherdance.org/2013/12/a-gift-for-me-and-now-for-you.html

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  16. Thanks so much for hosting, Tabatha. I love the poem by Rossetti that you shared! I read the words and in my head I hear Sarah McLachlan singing it (it's on her Christmas CD) - so lovely!

    My post today is an original poem about Christmas lights. It's here:
    http://wp.me/pC77F-qw

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  17. Oops! For some reason the 'here' doesn't work. The other link is find though. Sorry!

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  18. Thanks for hosting today, Tabbatha. Posting Denise Levertov's poem "The Secret"quickly this morning from a workshop. Have a good Friday, everyone!

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  19. Forgot the link:
    http://readingtothecore.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/poetry-friday-the-secret/

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  20. Thanks for hosting today, Tabatha. I love Christina Rossetti, and this poem is perfect for today.
    In my blog post today I share a poem from Helen Frost's novel-in-poems, SALT, as I discuss three of my favorite books from 2013.
    http://www.teachingauthors.com/2013/12/three-favorites-from-2013.html

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  21. Tabatha, thank you for hosting in this busy month. I've often sung that song, at least along with James Taylor, but never knew Christina Rossetti wrote the words.

    I wrote a post about revising (what isn't? called Poetry and Houses at: http://jeannineatkinsonwritingandstuff.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/poetry-and-houses/

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  22. Thanks so much for doing the roundup this week! After several months away from blogging, I posted an original poem for the season titled "Under the Tree" this morning.

    http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/2013/12/under-tree-original-poem.html

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  23. Hi Tabatha,
    I'm in today with a poem entitled Superstition.
    http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2013/12/poetry-friday-supersitition.html

    Thanks so much for hosting!
    Best,
    Tricia

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  24. Thanks for hosting, Tabatha! This week I visited Jone's blog. She shared my new haiku, "LAST LEAF" with one of her gorgeous nature photos.

    http://maclibrary.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/poetry-friday-last-leaf/

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  25. Happy Friday, everyone!

    Thanks for hosting, Tabatha.

    I posted at Unfading Pictures by Louisa C. Poole at my blog, Bildungsroman.

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  26. Thanks for hosting.
    My selection is "Sharing the Seasons: a book of poems" selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by David Diaz.

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  27. Thank you for the beautiful music to accompany my reading of poetry today! And BTW, mailed your package this morning--they said it should arrive Wednesday. :)

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  28. I have a haiku by Anastasia Suen: http://maclibrary.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/poetry-friday-last-leaf/
    This is a follow-up to her interview on Wednesday: http://maclibrary.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/interview-wednesday-anastasia-suen/

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  29. Thanks again for hosting this week, Tabatha - an appropriate choice of poems to share for most of the country of late! (Sending everyone some Southern sunshine...)

    I've always loved that "snow on snow"....

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  30. Great minds think alike, they say. But I think with this unusually long cold spell, we are feeling a bit bleak and poetic. Thanks for hosting. And for all you do for the Poetry Friday community throughout the year.

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  31. Thanks for hosting today, Tabatha. I don't have anything to add today, but your roundup is great! I love your Christina Rosetti poem!

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  32. Thank you, Tabatha, for this. I adore, "Snow on snow...." So lovely! This is one of my favorites, and the versions you share are simply exquisite. At The Poem Farm (barely making it under the line), I have a mask poem in the voice of a (my?) Christmas tree - http://www.poemfarm.amylv.com/2013/12/tree-mask-poem.html Thank you for hosting! Here south of Buffalo, NY, we have LOTS of snow on snow this week! xo ps - My apologies if I double posted - I could not tell if the first went through!

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