PrintFood Poems
As both an English major and self-proclaimed foodie, I believe I've read some of the best food writing in lines of poetry. One of my favorites is Li-Young Lee's "Persimmons": http://poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171753.
I just stumbled onto Daniel Hall's "Mangosteens" and am still looking for an online-text version. Anyone else have favorite food poems? Or even bits of food writing that sing like poetry?
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13 Comments:
The first one that came to mind...
This Is Just To Say
by William Carlos Williams
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Cathy at 8:41PM on 09/24/07
ode to sisters sandwich
born from the rich womb
of one avocado -- bulbous,
and proud of her full moon curves
came our sandwich
sliding sweetly through the flesh
of tomato, pickle, "cheese"
(almond skin confetti)
was the same knife
that tore through
The Perfect Bread, galaxies of black seeds
like a sponge from the deepest ocean
its pores welcomed a blanket
of verdent pesto and sour mustard grain
constellations of salt crystals and the spice of gods
come one, come all
and nestle together,
(safe) like two sisters and a swan
in bed
numnums at 9:08PM on 09/24/07
Little Miss Muffet
Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds & whey,
Along came a spider,
And sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away!
JEP at 9:23PM on 09/24/07
On Vox there's a group devoted to Food-ku (that being Haiku poems about food) http://foodku.groups.vox.com/library/posts/
SSMom at 6:49AM on 09/25/07
Parsley
Is gharsley.
(Further Reflections on Parsley, Ogden Nash)
Karen Resta at 7:10AM on 09/25/07
Favorite blessing:
Good bread,
Good meat,
Good Lord.
Let's eat!
skylar0ne at 12:41PM on 09/25/07
Carrots
Have merits.
(Carried on a picket sign outside McDonald's in a rural area with no good restaurants, farmers' markets or food critcs.)
Lee is great, Platecleaner! A favorite of many is Billy Collins on "Osso Buco". I love "La Grasse Matinée" by Jacques Prévert which you'll find on lots of online sites including this from Wheaton College where you can listen to a reading: http://wheatoncollege.edu/Academic/academicdept/French/ViveVoix/Resources/grassematinee.html. It's been translated into English by William Baker, but you'll need to visit your library to find a copy.
Eliz. at 12:49PM on 09/25/07
crisp pepperoni
edge curled from heat
a chalice of sweet, hot oil
—Mr. Sin
Adam Kuban at 3:22PM on 09/25/07
A Pickle Limerick
There was a young man named Perkins
Who was specially fond of small gherkins
One fine day at tea he ate forty-three
Which pickled his internal workin's
Irena Chalmers (1994)
JEP at 4:09PM on 09/25/07
Some hae meat and canna eat
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord b thankit.
Robert Burns
zee at 6:38PM on 09/25/07
Pablo Neruda's Elementary Odes is filled with food images. My favorite phrase is:
The sedulous cabbage
arranges its petticoats
Funny you should mention carrots and poetry, Eliz.
Carrots
Have merits.
(Carried on a picket sign outside McDonald's in a rural area with no good restaurants, farmers' markets or food critcs.)
I know a poem about carrots that was written by the daughter of the poet Morton Seif. I think the name of it is Battuto.
carrot tops are silly things
freed of bugs they flick and spring
ticklish leaved spiky sworded
feathery light green juice extorted
gullets gape neverending
hungry-mouthed not pretending
carrot celery onion steam
for churlish destind tummy's dream
Goes to show that poets are not made with DNA.
....................................................
Pat Conroy's book "The Prince of Tides" is also filled with descriptions of food that border on and hit the poetic. The descriptions of food run through the book - the language sings.
Karen Resta at 8:21AM on 09/26/07
Just came across a very nice food poem. From the book Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein:
A piece of sky
Broke off and fell
Through the crack in the ceiling
Right into my soup,
KERPLOP!
I really must state
That I usually hate
Lentil soup, but I ate
Every drop!
Delicious delicious
(A bit like plaster),
But so delicious, goodness sake -
I could have eaten a lentil-soup lake,
It's amazing the difference
A bit of sky can make.
Karen Resta at 6:56PM on 10/21/07
Karen Resta
What is the name of the poet who is Morton Seif's daughter, and where can I find her work?
P.S. You rule the food blogs!
carrottop at 11:11PM on 03/08/08