A few of my favorite poems

Poems that tell stories or have a cathartic value, whether through imagery or a rhythmic flow, really speak to me. To best illustrate this, let's take a look at a few of my favorite poems.

The Raven

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is a classic narrative poem that continues to remain popular. The rendition in the video above is narrated by Sir Christopher Lee, which is perfect for the ominous vibe the poem gives.

Beyond Poe's talent for imagery and storytelling, the rhythmic flow of the poem has a wonderful effect, especially since most renditions feverishly speed up during the narrator's desperate pleas with the titular raven.

Reading or listening to a rendition of "The Raven" is one thing I'll never say "Nevermore" to.

I Give You Back

Joy Harjo has a number of great poems, especially in her book "She Had Some Horses." One of my favorite poems by the former poet laureate is "I Give You Back," also called "A Poem to Get Rid of Fear."

The video above shows the rendition that most resonates with me, but I also suggest watching one of her live performances of the poem. "I Give You Back" does feature some heavy topics, but those topics and the way Harjo delivers the poem are what makes the poem so cathartic.

Harjo has a way of presenting and preserving the culture of the indigenous nations she belongs to, which made her a fascinating poet to study in my multicultural literature class.

We Real Cool

One of my favorite poems that I learned in college is Gwendolyn Brooks' "We Real Cool," heard in the video above. The poem's meter has a rhythmic flow that can be deciphered when reading it, but hearing Brooks recite it is a real treat. Likewise, Morgan Freeman does a pretty good rendition.

"We Real Cool" is a jazz poem with a lot of great metaphors and imagery, as well as a solid narrative quality. Brooks' poem continues to serve as inspiration in poetry classes to this day.

"We Real Cool" stuck with me so much that I even created my own poem as an homage to it, though I haven't managed to get my poem published, which is unfortunate since it's the poem I feel the most confident about.