World Poetry Day

Who I could think of to celebrate World Poetry Day? The bard himself, of course:

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

As You Like It, Melancholy Jaques, Act II scene vii

4 Comments

Kim C on March 21, 2013 at 9:03 pm

Lois, the theatre company I work with is currently presenting As You Like It. I will be seeing it this Saturday night!

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Lois on March 21, 2013 at 9:26 pm
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Wonderful! It’s not a play I know very well, never having properly studied it, but I have read it and seen it performed. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time, Kim!

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tinasrabbithole on March 22, 2013 at 8:56 am

Hi Lois! I’ve gone and nominated you for the Liebster award on my blog. 🙂 If you wanna pay it forward, then there are a few rules: 1. Pay tribute to the blog than nominated you, 2. Tell us 10 things about yourself, and 3. Tell us about some blogs that you follow! Kinda simple? I hope I’m doing it right…. 😛
Don’t worry, no one will die if you don’t participate, no bad things will happen to you, and you’re gonna be just as lucky or unlucky as you currently are if you pay it forward. 😉

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