Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne: "The Road Not Taken"

For years, there is a book that has come and gone from the nightstand, but is never very far gone. It is a collection of Robert Frost's lectures at colleges. They fascinate me to no end and I never tire of rereading them.

Nor do I ever tire of reading this masterpiece of verse. "The Road Not Taken, A Selection of Robert Frost Poems" is a classic and framed in my office, as I'm sure so many others have done.

This book is one of so many featuring his poems, treasures for the ages.

Where poetry resides in our collective national conscience at this point is hard to gauge. There are poetry slams and new verse collections, but the Frost and Emily Dickerson collections may not be so much read now. That is a tragedy if true.

Poetry takes time. Poems are condensed thoughts where every word matters and the rhythm is vital. Poems are not instant gratification. They are long-term lessons.

Like great paintings, poems require examination and re-examination. On different days a poem, like a painting, may speak differently to you, but you must take time to listen.

Poetry that stands the test of time, as Frost's has, touches matters deeply within us. The verses resonate over time because they are bell weathers of life deeper than a moment, or even a lifetime.

Take time for poems. They will enrich your life.

"Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen." - Leonardo da Vinci

Check out bestnewpoets.org and libraryjournal.com for some suggestions on new verse, but don't forget the classics.

Poets.org offers a poem a day service for free. It's kind of nice to have that show up among the junk that comes in email. The poems arrival invites one to stop for a moment and access the words.

Gary Thorne is the play-by-play voice of the Orioles on MASN, and the 2016 season is his 10th with the club and 31st covering Major League Baseball. His blog will appear regularly throughout the season. The Orioles and Sarasota County have partnered on the Big League Reader Program, which rewarded kids who read three books in February with tickets to a Grapefruit League game at Ed Smith Stadium in March.

Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne. © Copyright 2016 Gary F. Thorne. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Gary F. Thorne and MASNsports.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.