The Sounds of Poetry

Hi! I decided to do a vlog about how poetry is affected by the sounds of words. So, without further ado:

Here is the poem that I discuss in the video:

"A Mongoloid Child Handling Shells on the Beach"
by Richard Snyder (1971)

She turns them over in her slow hands,
As did the sea sending them to her;
Broken bits from the mazarine maze,
They are the calmest things on this sand.

The unbroken children splash and shout,
Rough as surf, gay as their nesting towels.
But she plays soberly with the sea’s
Small change and hums back to it its slow vowels.

[Snyder, Richard. “A Mongoloid Child Handling Shells on the Beach.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Seventh ed.  Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New York: Longman, 1999. 732]

Here's a great essay about the meaning of this poem, if you're so interested.

Also, here are some links to some of the other poems I mention in the video.

The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls (Tennyson)

Break, Break, Break (Tennyson)

The Second Coming (Yeats)

Also, one poem that I don't mention in the vid but is totally awesome: Goblin Market (Rossetti)

Share any thoughts or questions in the comments!

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