One Art

For my poetry exam in American Lit, we are doing recitations of poems from our anthology. The poem I chose was one line too short so I chose two. I'm sharing them here... I love them.

One Art: Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.


--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

I love this one!!! So much! There are so many things in my life that can directly relate to this poem. I've bolded them for significance. Most of you will probably be able to figure out exactly what it all means...

Goodnight, dear void.