Christmas tree


Christmas tree
Originally uploaded by Greygriffin.

Michael came round and helped Eve decorate our Christmas tree, while I was working on icing the Christmas cake. Then we got out the ‘interesting’ beers and whiskies, and talked and talked and talked. We got out my copies of Robert Herrick’s Select Poems and Palgrave’s Golden Treasury and read a few poems together, Michael specializing in pronounding Burns’ Scottish poems.

I always enjoy reading poetry out loud: the challenge is to read the words so fluently that they sound completely natural, even if the language is that of 400 years ago. Back when I was studying Finnish a dozen years ago, we used to go to a bar after the Thursday evening lesson, and I’d always get out my copy of Palgrave’s Golden Treasury and pass it around for each to read a poem in turn. It was a lot of fun – I’m sure the others will still remember.

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