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It was Robert Burns (1759–1796), the great eighteenth-century Scottish poet, who transformed the old song (and many other Scottish standards) for publication. He devoted the last ten years of his short life to collecting old verses, revising and "mending" as he saw fit, even composing poetry to accompany popular airs. When Burns turned his attention to "Auld Lang Syne," he claimed merely to have transcribed the words from "an old man's singing." But from the time his version of the song was first printed (in 1796, just after his death), it has been understood that Burns lent more than a...

Henry's children wrote letters describing their father's enjoyment of writing Carrier Addresses for local newspapers. The 1819 Carrier's Address was found in the Adriance Library in Henry's hometown and identified by Henry's granddaughter as being by Henry. He writes of the Erie Canal and of the events in America and abroad, closing with the always present request for a tip for the hardworking postboy.

Merry Christmas.

I was never much of a Beatles fan but there were songs I liked, and my favorite was 'Blackbird'. My husband happened to hit on this version by the Harvard a cappella group the 'Opportunes'. It's really nice: Blackbird

My Grandmother died when I was 3 weeks old. (Fidelity to the Catholic Faith came down to me from her through my Mother.) When her whole family was shipping out from Ireland, the boat had just departed; the parents looked around: "Where is Lillian?" Her Auntie was holding her back on the docks. "Now you'll come back to us." They never did.A song, very popular at the time, reflects similar circumstances. The Irish must flee, or perish. In Kathleen Mavourneen (click to hear the music), her erstwhile suitor--maybe almost betrothed--on the day he must depart, not to see her for...

I’m afraid of death because it inflates the definition of what a person is, or love, until they become the same, love, the beloved, immaterial.

(I don't believe people who just happened to be born on any of 365 days, deserve any special notice for it, but their Mothers do. My Mother, born in 1912, gave birth to me this day in 1954. So, to indulge myself, I thought I'd pass along this comedic poem from her birth year, 1912, from a children's book.) The Rocket Book (1912) by Peter Newell. Narrated at the click-link at Librivox by Phil Chenevert. The Rocket Book by Peter Newell at Gutenberg(Twenty-one comedic illustrations) [pg] The ROCKET Book by PETER NEWELL HARPER & BROTHERS NEW YORK [pg] COPYRIGHT, 1912,...

If we see Taylor Swift at Super Bowl LX, it won't be onstage. She'll be in a suite, drink in hand, like she usually is. According to multiple reports, the world’s biggest pop star has walked away from an offer to headline the NFL’s biggest game after negotiations with the league broke down. She had some requests, and the NFL reportedly refused to budge. "She wasn’t asking for favors, she was asking for respect," one anonymous music executive told British pop culture journalist Rob Shuter, who first broke the story on his "Naughty But Nice" Substack. "Taylor knows her worth....

A disheveled poet crafted verse of exquisite order.

The Democrats are having a hard time connecting with normal people, and one congressman decided that the best thing to do would be to grab a guitar and throw down an anti-Trump version of the Jimi Hendrix classic "Hey Joe." The only problem is that he doesn't know how to play guitar. Like, at all. **SNIP** The unbuttoned shirt, for instance, was 1,000 percent a decision made moments before his intern hit record. This may have even been take two after he stopped in the middle of tie-on take one. "Wait; hang on… (*Unbutons shirt*) …Now we're ready." But let's...

"We're gonna run right over them" "Fight like hell" "Are you ready to fight?" They’re gonna plan riots all across the country. Bonus: A California history teacher has a plan .... https://x.com/SKDoubleDub33/status/1932091423030985056 "Listen to the language he uses. He refers to the people being deported as indigenous to this land and calls it “ancestral land”. This is a revolution. His organization, Union del Barrio, is a Marxist Revolutionary group that also advocates for Palestine." Courtesy of SKDoubleDub

Authorities have ruled the mysterious deaths of twin 19-year-old brothers found fatally shot on a Georgia mountain a double suicide. The bodies of Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis from Lawrenceville, a suburb of Atlanta, were discovered on March 8 around 90 miles away in Hiawassee, at the summit of Bell Mountain, close to the North Carolina border. The teens had planned to fly to Boston to visit their friends on the morning of March 7, but 24 hours later, they were found dead in a remote part of the state they had never visited before, their family said....

We've Only Just Begun composer Roger Nichols has died aged 84. The multi-instrumentalist behind the Carpenters' biggest hit passed away peacefully at his home on May 17, but no cause of death has been given. His songwriting partner Paul Williams, 84, confirmed the news on Instagram on Thursday, writing: 'The first song, Roger Nichols and I wrote was called "It’s hard to say goodbye…" Sadly, we hit the nail on the head. >>> One of Roger's best-known creations We've Only Just Begun, was originally a jingle for a Crocker National Bank commercial. Roger and Paul were commissioned to write it...

More than any other Victorian-era writer, Tennyson has seemed the embodiment of his age, both to his contemporaries and to modern readers.

From: A Dream Within a Dream By Edgar Allan PoeI stand amid the roar Of a surf-tormented shore, And I hold within my hand Grains of the golden sand — How few! yet how they creep Through my fingers to the deep, While I weep — while I weep! O God! Can I not grasp Them with a tighter clasp? O God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave?

'Amy's Place' welcomes all poets and those who enjoy poetry.'Amy's Place' is more than just about poetry.Come in, relax, and share with fellow FReepersyour thoughts about any of the things on the *Menu*. Enjoy! :) Never Forget! Bad Penny Amy's personal guardian ~ was the ever charming, lovable, huggable, LouieWolf - R.I.P.Many thanks for stopping by. : )

Well, this is the watch on that special night, When the OD writes poetry by gangway light Tis the 1st of January, 1968 And I've the watch that runs quite late. USS Agerholm (DD 826) The naval service, by its very nature, thrives on rules and regulations. Above all else, a ship and her crew must promote self-reliance, discipline, and teamwork to maintain effectiveness and ensure mission accomplishment in the unforgiving and uncertain environments of both ocean and fog of battle. This truism of rules and regulation is particularly reflected in the official record maintained by all commissioned U.S. Navy...

Homer’s epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey have been hit with trigger warnings by a university for “distressing” content.The University of Exeter has come under fire after telling undergraduates they may “encounter views and content that they may find uncomfortable” in their Greek mythology studies.In what has been branded as a “parody” and “bonkers”, students enroled on the Women in Homer module are told material could be “challenging”.With references to sexual violence, rape and infant mortality, undergraduates are also advised they should “feel free to deal with it in ways that help (eg to leave the classroom, contact Wellbeing,...

This Twilight Zone episode, ‘The Night of the Meek’, first aired on television in 1960. It has long been one of the favorite Christmas stories in our house:The Night of the MeekI hope everyone enjoys a peaceful and happy Christmas season, and a good New Year. We have a lot to be thankful for.-Jamestown1630

A 30 min documentary put together for a charitable event in Troy NY, where Night Before Christmas was first published in the Troy Sentinel on December 23, 1823. For years it was assumed to be written by Clement Moore, a professor at a theology school and one of the richest men in NYC. Then, in 1859, the family of Henry Livingston began making known the family story of having seen the poem written and heard it performed by their father and grandfather years before the publication. Every 20 years the media rediscovers the controversy between a poet with no other...