Narrative Poem Reading Challenge 2013

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Lemon Tree (aka Listra) at Half-Filled Attic says:

I have always loved narrative poems. I do, I like them. But somehow reading narrative poems is more challenging than reading normal poems or normal narratives. Looking at my TBR list, there are many narrative poems that I promise to read, both from the Classic Club's Project, and also from my own curiosity.
So, to share the joy of reading narrative poems, I'd like to propose a challenge: What about reading narrative poems in 2013?

I know that some of you must have joined several reading challenges by now. It can be hectic, reading all those book in a year. To make sure that everybody has fun instead of burden, instead of giving a number of poems you have to finish, I'd just give the levels of reading. Feel free to read just as much as you can. The point of all this is having fun, anyway.
Levels of reading:
  • Homer (< 4 narrative poems)
  • Orpheus (5 – 8 narrative poems)
  • Muses (9 – 12 narrative poems)
  • Apollo (> 12 narrative poems)
Rules:
  • You don't have to follow this blog to participate (though I would love it if you do).
  • The challenge will start on January 2013 and end on December 2013.
  • Only narrative poems will be counted. If it's just a good poem, but not a narrative poem, it doesn't count (though I would happily read your reviews about poems).
  • The length of the poems may vary, from long epics such as Illiad and Odyssey to Poe's The Raven. Don't worry about it. If you read a collection of narrative poems, you may write a review for each poem or as a group of it. But please put all reviews in the master post that will come later on.
  • Please put the button in your blog.
  • You don't have to choose your books now, so have fun along the year.
  • Please sign up through the Linky below. 


    I am not a huge fan of narrative poems, or poetry in general (I try!  I do!  I just fail a lot), so this will be my nutritious, educational, good-for-me challenge.   At the moment my problem is that all the things I can think of to read are hugely long and intimidating, like Marmion or The Faerie Queene.  So I shall sign up for the Homer level and see what happens!

Comments

  1. Lemon TreeDecember 27, 2012 at 6:23 AM

    YAY!! So happy that you join. I am going to have Faerie Queene as well, and aim to get as far as Orpheus, but I don't know whether I will be able to do so or not.

    Happy reading.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ChristopherDecember 29, 2012 at 9:19 AM

    For those looking for something a bit less daunting than Spencer's The Faerie Queene, you might consider narrative poems like Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market; Tennyson's Idylls of the King; the Old English Beowulf, Middle English Sir Gawain and the Green Knight;or something more recent like The Lays of Beleriand by J.R.R. Tolkien. Anyway, enjoy yourselves, there is some truly wonderful stuff out there in this category of poetry. Best wishes in 2013! Cheers! Chris

    ReplyDelete
  3. JeanDecember 29, 2012 at 10:17 AM

    Thanks for the suggestions, Chris! I'll look into the Tolkien especially--I'm familiar with the others. :)

    ReplyDelete

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