Friday, April 25, 2008

POETRY FRIDAY: Analysis of Baseball


April is National Poetry Month and a fine time to read some poetry about baseball. Here’s one of my favorite sports poems, Analysis of Baseball, by May Swenson. Go, Red Sox!


Analysis of Baseball
By May Swenson

It’s about
the ball,
the bat,
and the mitt.
Ball hits
bat, or it
hits mitt.
Bat doesn’t
hit ball, bat
meets it.
Ball bounces
off bat, flies
air, or thuds
ground (dud)
or it
fits mitt.


You can read the rest of the poem here.
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At Wild Rose Reader, I have a review of Stella Unleashed: Notes from the Doghouse, a delightful collection of dog poems that was written by Linda Ashman and illustrated by Paul Meisel.

Tricia has the Poetry Friday Roundup at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

7 comments:

Mary Lee said...

I lovelovelove May Swenson!

Elaine Magliaro said...

Mary Lee,

I first read Swenson's "Analysis of Baseball" in her book THE COMPLETE POEMS TO SOLVE. Have you ever read it?

Anonymous said...

This is swoonable...

jama said...

I must read more May Swenson! And I'm forced to concur -- "Go Red Sox!" (or my in-laws will kill me).

Anonymous said...

I like that the poems vaguely resemble bats themselves.

Elaine Magliaro said...

Liz,

Swoonable is good! I'd hazard a guess that there have been more poems written about baseball than any other sport.


Jama,

I may live in Massachusetts and cheer for the Red Sox--but I've never been diagnosed with Red Sox fever.


Kelly,

I guess I never thought of that before. I do like the short, curt lines--and Swenson's explanation of the sport.

Anonymous said...

Don't you know that this poem is not really about baseball?

It is a metaphor for something else.