Rebecca's Reading Room

S4 E14; Up-Hill by Christina Rossetti - 1830-1894 

As I walk along the winding path through a wooded area, I am reminded of Christina Rossetti’s contemplative poem “Up-Hill.” The tranquil surroundings mirror the metaphorical journey of life depicted in the poem.

Christina Rossetti’s poem “Up-Hill” reflects on the journey of life using the metaphor of a traveler ascending a difficult road. The poem consists of a dialogue between the speaker and an unnamed interlocutor. This structure gives the poem a conversational tone, making the reader feel engaged in the questioning and answering.

The repetitive questioning in the first three stanzas, with the consistent answer of hardship and struggle, creates a sense of inevitability about life’s challenges. The poem’s structure emphasizes the enduring nature of these difficulties. Conversely, the poem concludes with a reassuring tone as the answers become more positive, suggesting that there is rest, companionship, and comfort at the end of life’s journey.

The imagery of the uphill road and the recurring questions about rest and companionship raises existential questions about the meaning of life and the afterlife. The poem also explores the universal themes of perseverance, faith, and the hope for solace in the face of life’s struggles.

Up-Hill by Christina Rossetti

Does the road wind up-hill all the way?

    Yes, to the very end.

Will the day's journey take the whole long day?

    From morn to night, my friend.

But is there for the night a resting-place?

    A roof for when the slow dark hours begin.

May not the darkness hide it from my face?

    You cannot miss that inn.

Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?

    Those who have gone before.

Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?

    They will not keep you standing at that door.

Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?

    Of labour you shall find the sum.

Will there be beds for me and all who seek?

    Yea, beds for all who come.

Photography & Recitation by Rebecca Budd

Music by Gavin Luke “The Departure” #EpidemicSound

https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/xfBmgBPOSP/

S4 E12: Simple Pleasures - Haiku from the Place Just Right by Elizabeth Gauffreau

Simple Pleasures Haiku from the Place Just Right”

In “Simple Pleasures Haiku from the Place Just Right,” Elizabeth Gauffreau curates a profound collection of 53 haiku, each accompanied by a photograph memory. With a focus on nature and the serene landscapes of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, Liz invites us to embark on a sensory journey through her cherished places. The fusion of eloquent poetry and evocative imagery ensures that each haiku is a window into the intense beauty and tranquility of these natural settings. Reading Liz’s poetry is to revel in the pure joy found in the simple pleasures of nature.

“Simple Pleasures” resonated with me. Liz’s evocative words intertwined with my own experiences. She speaks to our longing to find the place “just right.”

Music by Epidemic Sound

“Finding Melody” by Gavin Luke https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/Xlx96TspQP/

S4 E11: Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day By William Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;

Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:

   So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

   So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare is perhaps one of the best-known and most-loved poems in the English language. It is part of the Fair Youth sequence, a series of sonnets that are addressed to a young man of great beauty. The sonnet’s opening line, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?,” immediately sets the tone for the poem.

William Shakespeare goes on to describe how the beauty of the young man surpasses that of a summer’s day, which is often seen as the epitome of beauty and vitality. The use of imagery throughout the sonnet allows the reader to vividly imagine the young man’s timeless beauty. The poem also explores the theme of immortality through verse, as Shakespeare promises that the young man’s beauty will be preserved forever in his words.

The concluding couplet, “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee,” further emphasizes the idea that the poem itself will ensure the young man’s enduring legacy.

When I recite Sonnet 18 I feel a sense of awe and admiration for the enduring power of love and beauty, the timeless elegance and the transcendence of mortality. Giving voice to William Shakespeare’s words prompts a deep connection to the beauty of nature and an acknowledgment of the immortalizing effect of art and poetry.

Music by Epidemic Sound

Candelion “Anten Before Dawn” https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/oBHRGzcbsI/

S4 E10: August Moonrise by Sara Teasdale

I am on a leisurely walk in a North Vancouver nature park. I feel the tranquil embrace of August enticing me to pause, and breathe deeply under the canopy of trees. I take out a poem by Sara Teasdale that I have chosen to recite to the stillness around me – August Moonrise.

Celebrating the coming of August with Sara Teasdale

Welcome to a serene exploration of Sara Teasdale’s profound literary legacy amidst the tranquil beauty of August.

Nature’s Transcendence

In this poignant poem, Sara Teasdale departs from her previous themes of love and loss, delving into the post-World War I disillusionment and embracing a more existential tone. The speaker’s immersion in the beauty of nature provides a brief respite from the harsh realities of life. The vivid imagery of the moonrise and the forest evokes a profound sense of awe and wonder, while the questioning of the soul’s existence is juxtaposed with the solace found in the belief that beauty can transcend death. Through this lens, the poem stands as a testament to the enduring power of nature to inspire and provide meaning in the face of life’s uncertainties.

August Moonrise

by Sara Teasdale

The sun was gone, and the moon was coming

Over the blue Connecticut hills;

The west was rosy, the east was flushed,

And over my head the swallows rushed

This way and that, with changeful wills.

I heard them twitter and watched them dart

Now together and now apart

Like dark petals blown from a tree;

The maples stamped against the west

Were black and stately and full of rest,

And the hazy orange moon grew up

And slowly changed to yellow gold

While the hills were darkened, fold on fold

To a deeper blue than a flower could hold.

Down the hill I went, and then

I forgot the ways of men,

For night-scents, heady, and damp and cool

Wakened ecstasy in me

On the brink of a shining pool.

O Beauty, out of many a cup

You have made me drunk and wild

Ever since I was a child,

But when have I been sure as now

That no bitterness can bend

And no sorrow wholly bow

One who loves you to the end?

And though I must give my breath

And my laughter all to death,

And my eyes through which joy came,

And my heart, a wavering flame;

If all must leave me and go back

Along a blind and fearful track

So that you can make anew,

Fusing with intenser fire,

Something nearer your desire;

If my soul must go alone

Through a cold infinity,

Or even if it vanish, too,

Beauty, I have worshipped you.

Let this single hour atone

For the theft of all of me.

This poem is in the public domain.

Thank you, dear listeners, for embracing the timeless beauty of Sara Teasdale’s “August Moonrise” with me. Your presence added depth and warmth to this poetic journey, enriching our shared experience amidst the time of August. May we continue to cherish the profound themes of love, nature, and existential contemplation woven eloquently by Teasdale’s pen. Here’s to many more moments of poetic inspiration together.

Photography and Recitation by Rebecca Budd

Location: Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, North Vancouver

Music by Epidemic Sound

“Colors in Movement” By Johannes Bornlöf

https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/Pomv6C3lbP/

S4 E9: Change on Change by Elizabeth Barrett Browing

Welcome to Poetry in the Evening.

We are connected to nature in ways that cannot be fully understood. Poetry allows us to explore the relationship with the world around us. “Change on Change’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a poem about lost love and change envisioned through the lens of changing seasons.

Love flourished through spring and summer, but when the cooler winds of autumn arrive, there has been a parting, a loss. What is left is the sound of the river and the blush on the poet’s cheeks.

With every transition, we are influenced by the events and experiences that have occurred. As winter comes nearer, the poet recognizes that she is no longer the person of the spring and summer months.

Transitions hold emotional nuances that have a poignancy that brings both sadness for what was, but also joy for what has been gained as we move forward.

I invite you to join me in reciting, Change on Change by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

1. 

Three months ago, the stream did flow,

    The lilies bloomed along the edge;

And we were lingering to and fro,—

Where none will track thee in this snow,

    Along the stream, beside the hedge.

Ah! sweet, be free to come and go;

    For if I do not hear thy foot,

    The frozen river is as mute,—

    The flowers have dried down to the root;

    And why, since these be changed since May,

        Shouldst thou change less than they?

 2.

And slow, slow as the winter snow,

    The tears have drifted to mine eyes;

And my two cheeks, three months ago,

Set blushing at thy praises so,

    Put paleness on for a disguise.

Ah! sweet, be free to praise and go;

    For if my face is turned to pale,

    It was thine oath that first did fail,—

    It was thy love proved false and frail!

    And why, since these be changed, I trow,

        Should I change less than thou?

This poem is in the public domain. 

Recitation and photography by Rebecca Budd

Music by Trevor Kowalski “Courage Endures” #EpidemicSound

https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/qrx7ztOb5O/

S4 E7: The Rabbit Hole - A Short Story by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

“The Rabbit Hole” introduces a fresh perspective to the beloved tale, weaving together whimsical elements with the rich tapestry of Carroll’s original work. Through Teagan’s creative lens, the familiar characters and settings of Wonderland come alive in a way that both honours the essence of the original story and adds new layers of depth and intrigue.

With skillful prose and an evident reverence for the source material, Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene’s retelling invites readers to rediscover the wonder and magic of Wonderland while experiencing a unique and enchanting literary adventure.

Music by Epidemic Sound

https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/CzXKh5aj7v/

Arthur Benson "How to Tango" https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/bf1W6dALwc/

Arthur Benson "Jello Walking" https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/LGLwURMzSt/

Arthur Benson "Tiny Footsteps" https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/x0o9cgWUve/

Jon Björk "Floating on a Summer Breeze" https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/tQQ0pPHEhU/

S4 E6: “June” by Douglas Malloch

Welcome to the month of June.

What better way to celebrate than with poetry. I have chosen a poem by Douglas Malloch (May 5, 1877 – July 2, 1938)  which is dedicated to the month of June. The poem is entitled simply, “June.”

June

by Douglas Malloch

I knew that you were coming, June, I knew that you were coming!

Among the alders by the stream I heard a partridge drumming;

I heard a partridge drumming, June, a welcome with his wings,

And felt a softness in the air half Summer’s and half Spring’s.

I knew that you were nearing, June, I knew that you were nearing—

I saw it in the bursting buds of roses in the clearing;

The roses in the clearing, June, were blushing pink and red,

For they had heard upon the hills the echo of your tread.

I knew that you were coming, June, I knew that you were coming,

For ev’ry warbler in the wood a song of joy was humming.

I know that you are here, June, I know that you are here—

The fairy month, the merry month, the laughter of the year!

Douglas Malloch (May 5, 1877 – July 2, 1938) was an American poet, short-story writer, and Associate Editor of American Lumberman magazine. He was known for his poems that celebrated the virtues of the lumberjack and the natural world. Malloch’s work often reflected his deep admiration for the outdoors and the rugged individuals who worked in the logging industry.

Photography and Poetry Recitation by Rebecca Budd

Music by Epidemic Sound

Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen “Soul Temple” https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/QFGbmsiLoc/