The Quatrains and Selected Poems of V. Paul Hall

About the Book

The Quatrains and Selected Poetry of V. Paul Hall is a volume of poetry dedicated to those people who enjoy reading poetry. Those people who enjoy the beautiful poetry of the old masters are more likely to enjoy this volume. It consists of some of the best of the works of the poet, though it is by no means a complete collection of his works. For those who desire a better understanding of the rhythms employed by the old masters of poetry, the forward is a tutorial on that subject. It also grapples with the subject of just what it is that makes poetry, a question, which has not yet been definitively answered.

The poems are not obscure and hard to understand. It is the belief of the poet that, if the reader cannot understand the meaning of the poem, the poem probably has no meaning worthy of being sought. It has often been said that poetry should communicate emotion. In order to do this, it is essential to communicate as clearly, concisely, and beautifully as the poet's ability will permit. However, that communication needs to be conformed to the rhythmic rules of poetry. We may alter the rules by introducing new rhythms, but they must be rhythmic, not arhythmic.

About the Author

V. Paul Hall was born in the small town of Ingalls, Kansas on September 25, 1933. He was the fifth son of the town's Baptist minister. When he was two or three months old, the family moved to a farm near Green Forest, Arkansas. The family resided there until he was six years old, at which time they moved to Canon City, Colorado. He attended elementary and high school in Canon City.

At an early age he was allowed to read the poetry of his aunt, Iona Pearl (Hall) Collins. He developed a love for literature, and for poetry in particular. He began to write verse at about the age of eight years.

After high school, he entered the U.S. Army where he served or twenty-one years. He served in the Medical Department as a Psychology Specialist. During the latter part of his career, he was the Non-commissioned Officer in Charge of Psychology Services at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C, William Beaumont General Hospital in El Paso, Texas, and the 97th General Hospital in Frankfurt, Germany.

While on his first tour of duty in Germany in 1959, he married Josefine Weichselgartner of Koesslarn, Bavaria, Germany. They raised two daughters, both of whom married career servicemen.

He retired from the army in 1976. In 1977 he went to work as a case manager for the State of Colorado Department of Corrections. He was medically retired from that position in 1993.

He writes poetry in the classical style of the old masters. Many modern poets claim that there is nothing new to be written in the classical style. Mr. Hall disagrees strongly with this opinion. He does not recognize the non-rhythmic and vulgar writings of many of today's "poets" as being poetry, or even verse. It is his opinion that only a return to the beautiful writings of classical poetry can bring about a renewed interest in poetry as literature.