During Your School Days, What Were Your Favourite Poems?

[anotheoldgit]

Mine was Sir Henry Newbolt's Vitaï Lampada' ('Torch of Life'),

Closely followed by Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray



and

ABOU BEN ADHEM by James Henry Leigh Hunt

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight of his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:-

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said,
'What writest thou?' - The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered 'The names of those who love the Lord.'

'And is mine one?' said Abou. 'Nay, not so,'
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said 'I pray thee then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.'

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names who love of God had blessed,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUpawNZNJfQ

[Old_Geezer]

I knew the one about a young man of Devizes. And another about a young lady from Gloucester.

[cupid04]

Remember having to learn to recite one in the Brownies. Only remember a few lines:-

Matilda told such dreadful lies
It made one gasp and stretch ones eyes...

[corylus]

Mine was Christina Rossetti's 'Remember me when I am gone far away into the silent land.'

And Spike Milligan's epic verse is also a favourite,

'I must go down to the sea again,
To the lonely sea and sky.
I left my vest and socks there,
I wonder if they're dry?'

[carolegif]

The Road not Taken by Robert Frost. Sort of 'what if...'
I also had to learn Cargoes by John Masefield for my leaving primary school exam. I really wanted to recite the second verse about the Spanish galleon, but I had to do dirty British coaster. I wouldn't mind, but the boy that did 'my verse' fluffed his lines!