Poems that bring up nostalgic feelings

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I was taking college math and college physics throughout 9-th and 10-th grade, so I was behind on my high school classes. But, despite that, I decided to graduate after 11-th grade rather than 12-th. So my mom arranged for the high school to allow me to take more classes than students normally take during my 11-th grade so that I could graduate, and I did. But, of course, I was overwhelmed, and was falling asleep in my classes. I graduated in Spring 1998, but Fall 1997 was just as overwhelming.

Despite being overwhelmed with all these courses, I managed to ALSO be in cross country running team in Fall 1997, and I was the top runner on my team. The team was horrible though, it was 2-nd from the end. So, overall, I was not near the top, although I was still on the top half: I was number 29 out of around 105 runners. The next guy after me was number 64 out of 105, so he was at the bottom half. But get this: he was on that team previous years before I was. During my first few days on that team he couldn't make it for whatever reason, and the coach was saying "the top runner is about to come few days later, lets see if you can beat him" and he mentioned that they said in a year book that he could be their star. But he is the guy that ended up number 64, so he was at the BOTTOM half overall -- despite being a star in that school from the previous year. But anyway, I am glad that team was awful, since thats what allowed me to be a top runner.

But, back to the courses, I got there Cs during that semester (one C was in chemistry, the other in history and the other in composition class). That was much worse than I usually did. Up until that semester I had just As and Bs (except for one D for PE class due to my coming late too often). Nevertheless, even then I had a lot more Bs than As. I ended up with 3.9 GPA though since I took lots of college classes and for college classes high school counts A as 5 and B as 4. Right now most of my grades are A, but I would gladly go back to the past if only I could. I would rather have Bs and Cs if only it meant I could be younger again and be AHEAD of my age rather than behind.

And this brings me to the title of this thread. So I remember, during the end of that semester, I was sitting in that English class (the one for which I ended up getting a C) and during that particular day we were just reading poetry. So it was probably one of the easier days, since I don't think we had any assignments in connection to it. We were just sort of talking about it in class, and I didn't really participate I just listened. So the three poems that we were reading were "Stopping by the woods in the snowy evening", "The road not taken" and "flight". But the funny thing is that, when I think of these poems, what comes on the forefront is wishing to go back in time, as opposed to the actual meaning of these poems. I really miss sitting in that class relaxing and listening to it, without having any worries and regrets that I am having nowdays. Can anyone relate to it?

I’m a poet...but poetry doesn’t bring out the sentimental side of me.

I wish it did—because literature is something where one can find transcendence.

I really like Gorky much more than I like Pushkin.

I didn't know you are a poet. So do you publish your writings or just write for yourself? If it doesn't bring any sentimental feelings, what motivates you to write?

Glad to hear you heard of Pushkin and Gorky. I don't know about Gorky, but I know that most Americans haven't heard of Pushkin. But then again, you mentioned your grandparents are from Ukraine or some place like that, so I guess you are not the typical American.

To all the rest of you: Pushkin is someone that every 5 year old in Russia knows. Also I talked to a couple of people in India and they knew Pushkin too and even discussed some of his writings. Thats why when I see most Americans not knowing Pushkin it just shows how totally uneducated they are. American education is one of the worst in the world by the way.

I’m only published in a college magazine back in 1986.

I write because I want to communicate. And I enjoy metaphor. And I find it romantic.

I shouldn’t have said that I’m absolutely unsentimental about poetry. It’s more like I’m much more sentimental about nonfiction.....and, especially biography and memoirs.

My mother’s mother immigrated from Belarus in 1910, when she was 6 years old.

When I was really young I loved a collection of poetry for kids called Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee. At that time I always had a book in my hand! And Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening must have been a staple because I can still recite it! And of course In Flanders Fields by John McCrae.

AA Milne does that for me. My brother read them to me when it was raining outside.

My mother was making chicken noodle soup and I was getting sleepy for a nap.

I meant more that I didn’t feel sentimental about poetry as a child.

As a teen and adult, I have found that reading and writing it can very well bring out transcendent feelings—though interpreting it is not one of my strong suits.

Gorky was a great inspiration to the Soviet masses.