(2 July 1923 – 1 February 2012 / Prowent)

poet Wislawa Szymborska
#184 on top 500 poets
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What do you think this poem is about?

Some Like Poetry

Some -
thus not all. Not even the majority of all but the minority.
Not counting schools, where one has to,
and the poets themselves,
there might be two people per thousand.

Like -
but one also likes chicken soup with noodles,
one likes compliments and the color blue,
one likes an old scarf,
one likes having the upper hand,
one likes stroking a dog.

Poetry -
but what is poetry.
Many shaky answers
have been given to this question.
But I don't know and don't know and hold on to it
like to a sustaining railing.


Translated by Regina Grol

Anonymous submission.

Submitted: Monday, January 13, 2003


Read poems about / on: poetry, dog, people, school

Comments about this poem (Some Like Poetry by Wislawa Szymborska )

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  • Rajendran Muthiah (7/15/2012 6:13:00 PM)

    one likes soup, stroking a dock but runs off seeing poets because the poets are mad.

    0 person liked.
    		1 person did not like.
  • Thomas A Robinson (7/12/2012 2:39:00 PM)

    My first reading of a Wislawa Szymborska poem, not my last. Thanks be to Regina Grol for translation.I am sadden to learn of her passing just for months ago.Time is timeless when it comes to poetry.The torch that Wislawa ignited, passed through Regina's fingers, to my page, proves it.

    0 person liked.
    		1 person did not like.
  • Pranab K Chakraborty (7/12/2012 9:03:00 AM)

    Nice. Very nice. Actually so straight the realisation, naturally the expression becomes much lucid. And it is the beauty of this writing............Regards, Pranab k c

    0 person liked.
    		1 person did not like.
  • Walterrean Salley (2/8/2012 11:09:00 PM)

    I love poetry. But, of course, I'm a poet (-ess) . And I love this poem about poetry. Thanks for sharing it. voted 10

    0 person liked.
    		1 person did not like.
Read all 4 comments »

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