Meredith followed with John Shaw Neilson. He was a labourer and his main literary influence was the King James Bible. We heard The Orange Tree and The Crane is My Neighbour.
Eva talked about discovering William Carlos Williams when she was in her teens and bored with the sciences, looking for art and then finding his remarkable work. We heard The Red Wheelbarrow and This is Just to Say.
Jill read us the Barn Owl by Gwen Harwood.
Sarah read pieces of Goblin Market Christina Rosetti, and Ashes of Violet by Sandy Fitts
Lyn talked about her love of TS Eliot, the war poems we all did at school, Dylan Thomas and Vincent Buckley, and Steven Herrick who writes verse novels for young adults which are very popular.
There was general discussion about our experiences of poetry: Meredith talked about professor Maxwell reading the border ballads and making everyone cry.
We all agreed that we all enjoy&value poetry, but we are not in the habit of reading it.
Also mentioned : Dorothy Porter , Robert Lowell, Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsburg, Sylvia Plath, and Mother I'm Rooted....
