Once Upon a Time Meets Poetry - Poetry: Read More/Blog More - Take 4

Hi everyone! Welcome to the fourth month of the Poetry - Read More/Blog More Poetry Event. We are changing things up a bit this month. It is Once Upon a Time, um, time, so I am in a fantasy mood even if I haven't really been reading, well, much of anything lately. So, last month I told Lu I was going to read some poetry by Jane Yolen (not sure why her... Maybe a post?). We decided we were going to read her together. Then, I decided I should find something. While searching I ended up on the Endicott Studio Website and there is a huge list of poems that are connected to Once Upon a Time. After a few emails, we are going to read this list instead. We hope that others will join in, too, so we can talk about the whole experience in December.

The way we are doing it is that I am starting at the top of the list and Lu is starting at the end, so eventually we hope to both read all of the poems, but each months post will be original. And, since they are online, it is easy for others to join in, too. I started the project this month, so you will see my poems and thoughts below. I had also planned to work on the poems on my original lists, but I sort of ran out of time. I thought I had another week...

Anyway, I have Mr. Linky this month, so look forward to seeing your posts!

Also, we have decided that in December we will be giving away a poetry book, of Lu's choosing, to one lucky person that has participated over the 12 months that we have been hosting the event.
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'Beauty and the Beast' by Jaimes Alsop - Read April 13, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
When it comes to Disney I have always been a big fan of Beauty and the Beast because Belle was a reader. I know it is not a true representation of the fairy tale, but I can't help being drawn to anything to do with the story. Alsop was inspired by the fairy tale to write this poem and put his own spin on it. It is a different tale again, but it is also closer to the original story than Disney had it. Recommended.

'Shirt of Nettles, House of Thorns' by Nathalie F. Anderson - Read April 13, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
I am not sure what to say about this poem. It neither amazed me or disappointed me. It just was... I might have to read it again. Not one of my favourites.

'Soft Addictions' by Nathalie F. Anderson - Read April 13, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
Now, this poem I get. I was a little worried that Anderson was not for me, but she captures something that makes a lot of sense here. Actually, everyone should go read this because it is a very different approach to the life of loyalty and connects well with 'real' life. Recommended.

'Rose Red and Snow White' by Kim Antieau - Read April 13, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
Now this was different, too. I have never actually read the original fairy tale this is based on recently enough to remember all the details. I have been clouded by the new versions that are found in popular fiction, but I remember enough to think this poem is a good look at that original story. It is from a modern viewpoint which is helpful when reading older things... I think anyway. Recommended.

'The Girl Without Hands' by Margaret Atwood - Read April 13, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
I think after I read my poems for this month I am going to have to do some other research. I had no idea there was a fairy tale called 'The Girl Without Hands'. That means I probably am missing some of the elements to the poem, but I don't think I lacked too badly. Atwood is a gifted author, even if she doesn't always work for me, and I think this is the first time I have tried her poetry. It wasn't bad.

"Night Thoughts: Scheherazade' by Ari Beck - Read April 13, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
This poem is inspired by 'Arabian Nights'. This is yet another thing on the long list of things that I have only experienced as a retelling. I still think I got this poem, but I might have appreciated it more if I had actually read what it was based off of. It wasn't bad.
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'Bone Mother' by Holly Black - Read April 14, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
Holly Black and I have a love/hate relationship. Sometimes I think she is fantastic, but other times she leaves me less than thrilled. When I saw her name on this poetry list I was a bit concerned what this experience would be like, but it turned out rather well. It might be a fairy tale-type poem, but it can easily be represented as 'real life' and their experiences. It wasn't bad.

'Winter' by Holly Black - Read April 14, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
Then there was this one. This one made a lot of sense to me as it encompasses many popular fairy tales. I really enjoyed the idea behind it. Recommended.

'The Stepsister's Story' by Emma Bull - Read April 14, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
Emma Bull is an author I have glanced at before, but I think I might have only read short fiction from her.It was interesting to read her poetry. This is the 'Cinderella' story from the point-of-view of one of the step-sister's. It was actually a really good idea and I enjoyed reading it. Recommended.

'Briar Rose' by Debra Cash - Read April 14, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
As far as I know I have never read Debra Cash before, but this was another poem that I appreciated easily. It is always fun to see fairy tales that you are familiar with told in different ways. That is why there is such a market for the novels and short stories. I am happy to be experiencing some of the poetry. This is the 'Sleeping Beauty' story told from the point-of-view of 'Briar Rose'. It is all the things that are never shared in the original tale because how she felt about everything was not important. Recommended.

'The Mermaid Sets the Story Straight' by Debra Cash - Read April 14, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
Wow, I loved this. Debra Cash is my kind of person! Many of these poems debunk popular stereotypes and such of fairy tales, but not in such a blatant way as this poem. Of the 10 poems I have read so far this is my favourite. Go check it out! Strongly Recommended.
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'Femmes Sauvage' by Johnny Clewell -  Read April 19, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
This poem will make you smile. It is based on 'Little Red Riding Hood' and takes place after the fact from Little Red's point of view. She is talking to her grandmother about her own future. I liked it! Recommended.

'The Iron Shoes' by Johnny Clewell - Read April 19, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
While this poem uses fairy tale elements to tell its tale, it wasn't until I read the information at the end that I discovered it was based around 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon'. I have read re-tellings of that, but I am not so sure I have read the original. It wasn't bad.

'Red Riding Hood Had a Pretty Good Time with the Wolf' by Karen Daly - Read April 19, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
I am not entirely sure what I think of this one. It's an interesting take on the fairy tale... You should just check it out for yourself. It wasn't bad.

'A Cuban Cinderella' by Margarita Engle - Read April 19, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
This was an interesting re-telling of 'Cinderella'. I quite liked it. It is too short to say too much about it, though. Recommended.

'Pear' by Nan Fry - Read April 19, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
It is interesting how these old fairy tales or fairy tale themes can be rewritten to have sexual meanings. Something as simple as a pear can mean so much more if you put the right spin on it.
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'Little Cinder' by Jeannine Hall Gailey - Read April 23, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
This is another feminist type approach to a popular fairy tale. It also could easily be applied to today. Recommended.

'Allerleirauh Reveals Her True Self to the Prince' by Jeannine Hall Gailey - Read April 23, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
Even though I am not sure if I have read the original tale this poem is based on, you can't help being a bit appalled. It's amazing what I didn't notice when I was a kid and reading Grimms' Fairy Tales. Now I pick out all these things and it is disturbing! Recommended.

'Becoming the Villainess' by Jeannine Hall Gailey - Read April 23, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
From what I can gather, this takes elements from many different fairy tales and makes a story. It doesn't credit anything down below and I recognize a couple different stories from reading it. It's another interesting take. Gailey is an interesting poet. Recommended.

'Conversations with the Stepmother, at the Wedding' by Jeannine Hall Gailey - Read April 23, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
Again, this poem could be about any fairy tale with a step-mother present. And again, it is an interesting idea. Recommended.

'Rapunzel Explains the Tower' by Jeannine Hall Gailey - Read April 23, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
So true. When you hear the story this way, it doesn't sound so bad... Recommended!

'Rapunzel: I Like The Quiet' by Jeannine Hall Gailey - Read April 23, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
Again, this poem gives a new perspective to the Rapunzel story that is rather interesting. Recommended!

'The Snow Queen' by Jeannine Hall Gailey - Read April 23, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
I know of the The Snow Queen from reading Fables, but I am not sure I have ever read the original story. So, I am not so sure I can comment on this poem and its connection to that story. I do like it, though. Recommended.

'White Bird Sister: Chu Revisits the Past' by Jeannine Hall Gailey - Read April 23, 2012 - Poem Found Here.
I am not quite sure what this is all about. I think I need a bit of research. I am going to go look Jeannine Hall Gailey up because I want to read her collection...