Gramma's Pickle Barrel By The Lilac Tree
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Over the past eight or ten years I have written numerous poems, some seven hundred of them Shakespearean-style sonnets, and all of these naturally inspired by the famous Bard from Avon. But I’ve also written many other poems, including many song lyrics, some of them set to music. When I first conceived the notion of selecting some of my poems for publication in a book, I thought of categorizing them according to subject matter. But then it occurred to me that this approach would eliminate the element of surprise. Consequently, I decided not to divide my wide selection of poems into chapters but rather to present them in no particular order. For reader convenience I’ve recorded the title of each poem and its page number at the end of this volume. I hope you enjoy reading my poetry and song lyrics, all of them written in a conventional or traditional style, none in free verse, which seems to be the general trend these days. Various people have said to me, "I’m glad, Ferrel, that your poems are written so that the ‘average reader’ can understand and remember them." This latter thought has inspired me whenever I have endeavored to enter the magic realm of poetry.
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About the Book
Over the past several years Ferrel Glade Roundy has written 700 Shakespearean- style sonnets on a wide variety of subjects, some serious, some humorous, some in between. "The sonnet," he says, "is marvelous for encapsulating a thought in a memorable way," which is why he loves to work with this particular poetic form. But of course he doesn't restrict himself just to the sonnet form. He also has written many song lyrics, some of which have been set to music. Since English, unlike German, French, Spanish, and various other languages, is not an easy language to rhyme in, most modern English-speaking poets these days choose to write free verse, which has neither rhyme nor meter. A few poets are candid enough to admit that their opting for free verse is a copout of sorts because with free verse they don't have to concern themselves with the conventional requirements of poetry. Some poets say that rhyming is often stilted and unnatural, but whether or not a rhymed poem ends up stilted and unnatural depends mainly on the poet's level of education, native talent, and imagination. Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, Pope, and numerous others were masters of their craft; and all of them rhymed their poems. Consider for a moment how much of the "music" would be lost in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" if the poetry didn't rhyme. This is not to say that free verse is not effective, for one need think only of the King James Version of the Bible, much of which is beautifully poetic and in free verse. One would have to get up very early in the morning to top the wonderful poetry of the Twenty-third Psalm, so long as it is the KJV. Later translations lose much of the poetic effect, which is tantamount to removing the fizz from the rootbeer! But one of the biggest criticisms of modern free verse is that many readers find it difficult to remember after reading it. Many in fact read it and don't know what they've read after reading it. This, basically, is why Roundy says he has opted in this current volume of poems to use mainly the sonnet form, for he finds it to be a charming way to express himself. "A thousand years from now," he says, "people will still be reading Shakespeare's sonnets, but it is doubtful that much of the current free verse will be read then even by experts."
About the Author
Ferrel Glade Roundy, long-time English/German professor, retired in 2001 after 40 years of teaching. "During that time," he says with a smile, "I read more than enough student essays to last me for another 40 years!" Now freed from his teaching responsibilities, Roundy devotes his time to writing more novels and poetry and to catching up on his reading. He and his wife, Carol Joy, own 200 acres of cedars and sage in their native southern Utah, where they make occasional forays to bask in the inimitable scenic splendors of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and surrounding areas. Roundy's first love is writing, so he plans to write more exciting books and poems. He hopes to have movies made from several of his books.