【活動公告】 03月文化角有獎徵答得獎名單 The list of winners for the Cultural Corner event in March

11132**071

張○婷

11132**070

林○瑩

11132**089

孫○婷

11132**506

武○燕○

11092**029

李○翔

When I was in elementary school, I unexpectedly participated in an English poetry reading at an English cram school. It was something new for me because, aside from learning vocabulary, grammar, and reading, I had never really studied much about literature. I still remember choosing She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron because it caught my attention. I especially liked how the poem uses imagery, like the starry night and soft light, to describe the balance between darkness and light in people. It also talks about pure, selfless love and kindness.

I’d join a film photography walk.

We walk around, and some people crouch to take pictures of wildflowers by the wall, while others stop to catch the sunlight through the leaves. I notice a cat lounging on a windowsill, so I quietly approach, focus my camera, and wait for it to stretch. When it yawns, I quickly snap the photo. I’m not sure how it’ll turn out, but in that moment, it feels like I’ve caught something special.

Afterward, we sit down and share our photos. We talk about settings and how to improve our shots. Everyone has their own way of capturing things—some focus on small details, others go for wider shots. Listening to everyone’s thoughts, I feel like I’ve learned a lot.

Going to the poetry readings at Vienna's Café Hawelka would bring me to the intimate setting of the café, where the union of coffee, history, and poetry created a warm environment for artistic expression. Within Café Hawelka, I am welcomed by the aroma of strong coffee and the hum of quiet conversation. Old photographs and artwork line the walls, and the weathered, old wood tables seem to have stories to tell. The air is imbued with a rhythm from the gentle clinking of cups and saucers. I sit near the front, where writers are gathering to read their work. The audience is bathed in golden light in the warm, intimate room by the subdued but warm lighting. A hush descends on the audience as the first poet approaches the tiny stage. Her voice is a soft sound in the room, weighted with emotional vulnerability. The poems reveal fundamental ideas about love, sorrow, and human existence like an opened secret. Like we are all in this very period, I relate not only to the poets but also to every other person in the room. As much as the words of the poets overwhelm me, the warmth in my hands grounds me as I sip on some coffee. The experience is ageless, as if I am playing a part of a persistent creative and expressive tradition. Withstanding the stress of being under the spotlight, I claim my place at the microphone, but comfortable with the intimate atmosphere. Enjoying the singularity with the crowd, I read my poetry, and at the end of it, the gentle applause makes me happy and satisfied.

Poem:

In the quiet hum of coffee’s brew,

Words collide, both old and new.

A whispered thought, a fleeting glance,

In this room, we take our chance.

With every line, the soul reveals,

The tender truth that silence seals.

And in the warmth, our hearts align,

Poetry, forever, intertwines.

I would love to join the poetry reading at Shakespeare and Company in Paris. When I was in high school, I often went to the library to study with my friends, and we loved going to bookstores together. But I’ve never had the opportunity to hear a live poetry reading.

It reminded me of when I was in elementary school and had to read a passage aloud in front of the class. I stood in front of the desk, holding the textbook in trembling hands. I remember watching a book reading competition and feeling relieved that I wasn’t the one on the stage. Even just reading in class makes me nervous, so I can’t imagine competing in front of everyone. But I still think it would be great to experience a poetry reading at least once.