The Man in The Glass

Hi there! Long time no see. Sorry about that, I've been busy with my major and my work. But I am back, for good.
Today's poem was sent to me by a friend from Schenectady, NY(USA). It is called The Man in The Glass.

"When you get what you want in your struggles for self, and the world makes you king for a day. Just go to a mirror and look at yourself and see what that man has to say.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years, and get pats on the back as you pass, but your final reward will be heartache and tears, if you've cheated the man in the glass"

Now, who is the author of that interesting bit of poetry??? :)

Until next time, Carpe Diem!

Don't envy

DON'T ENVY

Don't envy, friend, a welthy man:
a rich man's life is spent
Without a friend or faithful love -
Those things he has to rent.

Don't envy, friend, a man of rank,
His power's based on force.

Don't envy, too, a famous man:
The man of note well knows
The crowds acclaim is not for him,
But for that thorny fame
He wrought with labour and with tears
So they'd be entertained.

But then, when young folk gather 'round,
So fine they are and fair
You'd think it's heaven, - ah, but look:
See evil stirring there...

Don't envy anyone my friend,
For if you like you'll find
That there's no heaven on the earth,
No more than in the sky.

Taras Shevchenko
Mirhorod, October 4th, 1845.
Translated into English by John Weir.

This is my favorite poem so far. Thank you, Natalia, from Ukraine.
Taras Shevchenko was born a serf, later buying his freedom, and would become a major influence to modern Ukrainian literature and language. At his time, Ukraine was not an independent country and was subject to the rule of the Russian Empire. Taras was a rewarded painter, poet and also made engravings. He was most upset by the serf condition of his family and people.

When I read the poem now, I can picture Taras growing disappointed by autocracy, privilege and Orthodox Catholic rule. His poetry may have been a means of unburdening his heart or of inspiring the youth.

See the Taras Shevchenko museum.

Until next weekend!

In Neglect, Robert Frost

THEY leave us so to the way we took,
As two in whom they were proved mistaken,
That we sit sometimes in the wayside nook,
With mischievous, vagrant, seraphic look,
And try if we cannot feel forsaken.

This poem is from Robert Frost(1874-1963), an American poet who wrote about rural life and portrayed everyday situations. "In Neglect" is part of "A Boy's will", Robert's first book of poetry, published in England.

You can read the whole book "A Boy's Will" at Bartleby. I would like to thank Ashley Maclure, from Atlanta, for sending me this poem. :)

Sharing poems

Hi! My name is Olegario. Like you, I am a poetry lover. Although there are many poets in Brazil, the country where I live, finding out about poetry from other countries is still very difficult.
First, there is the problem of language. I would love to read a Chinese poem, but learning Mandarin or Cantonese is going to take forever! :)
Second, translations available in the bookstores are frequently expensive.
Third, there is so much information online that it is getting hard to find an accurate keyword when searching in the web.

So, for all those reasons stated above, I decided to create a simple blog where you will find poems from different parts of the world. Ta Da! :)