In the classical traditions and history of every human culture, there was a belief in the divine and a deep reverence for it. This gave rise to poems or songs of praise, such as hymns, odes, and paeans. Today, praise of this kind is relatively uncommon outside of religions, but praise, celebration, and honor nonetheless continue unabated in our culture.
Let’s say you like something or someone and you want to say, “Hey, you’re great,” or “I admire that,” or “That thing looked so cool!” but you want to express it in some way that is more meaningful than those plain words. If that is the case, then poetry may hold the key. With very few materials, you can create a small artistic monument to whatever it is that has so moved you. It may be brilliant or it may be terrible, but undeniably it is special and captures something between you and it.
We begin with poems from famous 19th-century British poet laureate Lord Alfred Tennyson and the greatest American poet of the 20th century, Robert Frost, then move on to living poets who write in the style of classical poetry. In each, the poet praises his subject matter and tries to capture what it is that moved him in unique ways.
