Thursday, March 27, 2014

"Winter Rain" (by Christina Rossetti) and a Water Can Be... Wrap-up

Happy Poetry Friday!

I first read this poem just last month at Keri Recommends, and I love it! I've been immersed in writing educator materials and creating videos for Water Can Be... the past couple of months, and this celebration of what water does for our world completely enchants me. (The three stanzas I highlighted in blue are my very favorite--in case you don't have time for a longer poem today:>)


    Winter Rain

    Every valley drinks,
        Every dell and hollow:
    Where the kind rain sinks and sinks,
        Green of Spring will follow.

    Yet a lapse of weeks
        Buds will burst their edges,
    Strip their wool-coats, glue-coats, streaks,
        In the woods and hedges;

    Weave a bower of love
        For birds to meet each other,
    Weave a canopy above
        Nest and egg and mother.

    But for fattening rain
        We should have no flowers,
    Never a bud or leaf again
        But for soaking showers;


    Never a mated bird
        In the rocking tree-tops,
    Never indeed a flock or herd
        To graze upon the lea-crops.

    Lambs so woolly white,
        Sheep the sun-bright leas on,
    They could have no grass to bite
        But for rain in season.


    We should find no moss
        In the shadiest places,
    Find no waving meadow grass
        Pied with broad-eyed daisies:


    But miles of barren sand,
        With never a son or daughter,
    Not a lily on the land,
        Or lily on the water.


--by Christina Rossetti

Isn't that amazing? And here I am reading this poem aloud:



And this is the final day of our weeklong celebration of Water Can Be... here on Teaching Authors. Thanks for letting me share so much! If you're interested in book trailers, the teaching guide, reviews (it got starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly--my first stars ever!), etc., just check out the Water Can Be... page on my website. And don't forget to return to Monday's post to enter our giveaway for a personalized copy of my book. Just click on the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of that post. Good luck!

Teacher and poet Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading has today's Poetry Friday Roundup--enjoy!

--Laura Purdie Salas

15 comments:

Rosi said...

This is a lovely poem and it supports your book so well. Thanks for sharing it here.

Irene Latham said...

Love seeing those STARS!!! Such a beautiful book. Congratulations! And kind of appropriate that the weekend before your book releases, the NOAH movie hits theaters?? Water water everywhere... xo

Buffy Silverman said...

Thanks for sharing this wonderful poem...and big congratulations on your starred reviews!!

laurasalas said...

Thank you so much, Rosi, Irene, and Buffy! And yes on Noah! Hadn't even thought about that:>)

BJ Lee said...

Laura - This poem swept me away with its loveliness! I enjoyed listening to you read it as well. Good job with reading slowly. I think that is key when reading poetry and is so difficult to do. Congratulations on your great reviews as well!

Linda B said...

It has to be some great week for you Laura. I still can't wait to have your book in my hands! The poem is wonderful, I agree. My brother sent me a video this week of rain falling at his house. He knows how little we get rain here in Colorado, so it was a special gift! Nothing like that sound! (Just a few more days!)

Carmela Martino said...

I love Rossetti's poetry, Laura. Thanks so much for sharing this. And although we're having "spring rain" here this week, the poem still fits.
Hooray for your starred reviews!

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

You HAVE been busy, Laura! And yet not a trace of stress in that calm and soothing voice of yours-- you really do read beautifully. Thanks for sharing this lovely poem.

Bridget Magee said...

Yes, I agree, Rossetti's poem IS amazing! Thanks for sharing, Laura. = )

Ronna Mandel said...

Big Christina Rossetti fan. Thanks for sharing!

laurasalas said...

BJ, Linda, Marti, Michelle, Bridget, and Ronna--thank you for coming by and reading/listening. Ronna, I have read only a few Rossetti poems. Clearly, I need to read more! Michelle and BJ, thanks for the kind words--I'm working to become a better poetry reader. In person, I'm comfortable. Recording myself--ack! Linda, falling rain and waves are two of my favorite sounds in the whole world. I didn't realize Colorado was so dry!

Mary Lee said...

A fabulous tribute to rain/water -- perfect for your book!

Yes, parts of Colorado are VERY dry. Where I grew up, the annual rainfall is only 17 inches. For the YEAR. Yeah, that's dry! And the aquifer that's being pumped to grow crops is drying up at an alarming rate, so it's likely to only get drier. Dirt storms are still a reality out there where there is little to break up the wind...

Tara said...

Love the way you read this beautiful gentle poem, Laura. Waiting for your book!

GatheringBooks said...

Hi Laura, can't wait to read Water Can Be... I am sure it's absolutely beautiful. Christina Rossetti is a personal favourite, but I didn't know about this poem, thanks for sharing it. :)

April Halprin Wayland said...

Laura--you read with kindness and clarity. Lovely.