What would life be without poetry? Today we live in a time when the simplest language is successful and when video and audio are much more popular than the written word. But reading the verses of a poem remains a very special experience!
So whatever you are feeling, poetry can welcome you. Sadness, loneliness, hopelessness… Or hope, joy and happiness! Therefore, to prove the flexibility of poetry, we have separated 10 poems that will help you remember that life can indeed be good and is worth living!
Check out the poems and then a reflection on them that we prepared so you can meditate on what you read!
1 – “Seize the day”, by Horacio
“Ask not, knowing is forbidden, what end the gods will give me or you,
Leuconoe, with the soothsayers of Babylon do not play.
It's best to just deal with what comes your way.
How many winters will Jupiter give you or if this is the last one, which now hits the rocks on the beach with the waves of the sea.
Tyrrhenian: be wise, drink your wine and for the short term re-raise your hopes.
Even as we speak, jealous time is running away from us.
Enjoy the day, trust the least in tomorrow.
We can always be better. Just think about it.”
In short, a great classic! This is the poem that made famous the Latin expression “carpe diem” (“seize the day”), which reminds us that we must live in the today, the present, instead of trusting in a future that may not even exist. So let's worry only and exclusively about the now!
2 – “What to cry for…”, by Vinicius de Moraes
"Why cry
If the sun is about to rise
If the day will dawn
why suffer
If the moon will rise
It's just the sun going down
Why cry
if love exists
The question is just to give
The issue is only pain
who didn't cry
who didn't feel sorry
can never say again
Why cry
why suffer
If there's always a new love
In each new dawn.”
Anyway, we often find ourselves wasting too much time with tears and sadness. In fact, we should invest our time in seeking happiness, faith and joy, not what makes us sad. As the poem says, there is always a new love at dawn, so let us cultivate hope, not the absence of it!
3 – “Message to distant friends”, by CecĂlia Meireles
“My beloved companions,
I do not wait for you nor call:
because I go elsewhere.
But it is certain that I love you.
Not always those closest
make better company.
Even with the sun overcast,
everyone knows when it is day.”
Often, in the rush of everyday life and our lives, we can't find time to be close to the people we love as much as we'd like... But that doesn't mean there's no love in these relationships. So whenever you can, show these people how special they are and how much you love them!
4 – “Aninha and her stones”, by Cora Coralina
“Do not let yourself be destroyed…
Assembling new stones
and building new poems.
Recreate your life, always, always.
Remove stones and plant roses and make candy. Restart.
Make your life petty
a poem.
And you will live in the hearts of the young
and in the memory of generations to come.
This font is for the use of all thirsty ones.
Toma on your side.
come to these pages
and do not hinder its use
to those who are thirsty.”
Life is a box of surprises... It constantly closes doors and frustrates our hopes and opportunities... So it is very important that we have an open mind to start over and rebuild on top of any ruin that has remained after a setback. Always be open to starting over!
5 – “Impressionist”, by Adélia Prado
“One occasion,
my father painted the whole house
orange background.
For a long time we lived in a house,
as he said himself,
constantly dawning.”
This poem, of a unique delicacy, shows that, many times, even if we cannot change reality, we can change the way we face such reality. That's why those who choose to see things with poetry, beauty and harmony live a lighter life!
6 – “O tempo”, by Mario Quintana
“Life is some duties that we brought to do at home.
When you see it, it’s already 6 o’clock: there’s time…
When you see it, it's already Friday...
When you see it, 60 years have passed!
Now, it's too late to fail...
And if they gave me – one day – another chance,
I didn't even look at the clock
always moving forward...
And I would throw the useless golden husk of hours along the way.”
There is no escape: we are slaves of time. When we're young, we often worry too much about the passage of time, and it's only when age and experience sets in that we realize we've spent too much time looking at the clock and not enough time actually living life...
7 – “I don’t argue”, by Paulo Leminski
“I don't argue
with fate
what to paint
I sign"
Although we can, in a way, choose the paths we decide to follow, destiny, life, God (whatever you believe in) is what really decides how our life will be, which people we will meet, where we will go... be open and available for fate to do what it wants with you!
8 – “Song of the usual day”, by Mario Quintana
“So nice to live day to day…
Life like this never gets tired...
Live just for moments
Like these clouds in the sky…
And just win, all your life,
Inexperience… hope…
And the crazy rose of the winds
Attached to the hat's crown.
Never name a river:
It's always another river to pass.
Nothing ever goes on,
Everything will start over!
And without any memory
Of the other lost times,
I throw the dream rose
In your distracted hands…”
One who is too preoccupied with naming feelings, thinking too much about them, and looking at the clock too much is not really living. So life is made of moments. Instead of thinking too much, simply be open to experiencing all that these moments can offer for your journey.
9 – “Being me an apprentice”, by Bráulio Bessa
“As an apprentice
Life has taught me what a beast
It's who lives sad
remembering what was missing
hurting the scar
And forget to be happy
For everything you conquered
After all, not every tear is pain
Not all grace is smile
Not every curve of life
There's a notice board
And not always what you lose
It really is a loss.”
There are two ways to live life: valuing what we have, conquered and are; or missing all the time what we want, what we lack or remembering what hurt us. Choose the first option! So live content with what you have, not regretting what you don't have.
10 – “Seize the Day” by Walt Whitman
Enjoy the day,
Don't let it end without having grown up a little.
Without having been happy, without having fed your dreams.
Don't let yourself be overcome by discouragement.
[or] allow someone to deny you the right to express yourself, which is almost a duty. [or] abandon your urge to make something extraordinary out of your life.Don't stop believing that words and poetry can change the world.
Because whatever happens, our essence will remain intact.
We are passionate human beings.”
Yes, sometimes we just want to set aside a day to rest and do nothing. But not every day can be like that. May every day that begins be an opportunity to improve and grow, to express yourself, to manifest your passion, your love and your dreams. That's living!
You might also like:
- Poetry as a way to exalt feelings
- 15 tips to reduce stress
- March 21 – World Poetry Day
- Put carpe diem into practice: learn how to live in the moment
- Discover the 9 pillars of mindfulness and how it can make your life lighter
Anyway, did you see how poetry can help us to perceive the best of life and influence us to live a lighter and more harmonious journey? Add art to your life and live more deliciously! May your life be like these poems: full of hope and inspiration!
