Seamus Heaney, from “Squarings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Squarings” Seamus Heaney often said that, from his experience as a poet, one’s creative life followed three … Continue Reading Seamus Heaney, from “Squarings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Crossings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Crossings” Seamus Heaney often said that, from his experience as a poet, one’s creative life followed three … Continue Reading Seamus Heaney, from “Crossings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Settings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Settings” Seamus Heaney often said that, from his experience as a poet, one’s creative life followed three … Continue Reading Seamus Heaney, from “Settings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Lightenings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Lightenings” Seamus Heaney often said that, from his experience as a poet, one’s creative life followed three … Continue Reading Seamus Heaney, from “Lightenings”
H. D., “Oread”
H. D., “Oread” Whirl up, sea –whirl your pointed pines,splash your great pineson our rocks,hurl your green over us,cover us … Continue Reading H. D., “Oread”
H. D., “Orchard”
H. D., “Orchard” I saw the first pearas it fell –the honey-seeking, golden-banded,the yellow swarmwas not more fleet than I,(spare … Continue Reading H. D., “Orchard”
Amy Lowell, “Thompson’s Lunch Room—Grand Central Station”
Amy Lowell, “Thompson’s Lunch Room—Grand Central Station” STUDY IN WHITES Wax-white—Floor, ceiling, walls.Ivory shadowsOver the pavementPolished to cream surfacesBy constant … Continue Reading Amy Lowell, “Thompson’s Lunch Room—Grand Central Station”
Amy Lowell, “The Pike”
Amy Lowell, “The Pike” In the brown water,Thick and silver-sheened in the sunshine,Liquid and cool in the shade of the … Continue Reading Amy Lowell, “The Pike”
Charles Reznikoff, “Millinery District”
Charles Reznikoff, “Millinery District” The clouds, piled in rows like merchandise, become dark; lights are lit in the lofts; the … Continue Reading Charles Reznikoff, “Millinery District”
Delmore Schwartz, “The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me”
Delmore Schwartz, “The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me” “the withness of the body” The heavy bear who goes with … Continue Reading Delmore Schwartz, “The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me”
Delmore Schwartz, “In the Naked Bed, in Plato’s Cave”
Delmore Schwartz, “In the Naked Bed, in Plato’s Cave” In the naked bed, in Plato’s cave, Reflected headlights slowly slid … Continue Reading Delmore Schwartz, “In the Naked Bed, in Plato’s Cave”
T. S. Eliot, “Preludes”
T. S. Eliot, “Preludes” I The winter evening settles down With smell of steaks in passageways. Six o’clock. The burnt-out … Continue Reading T. S. Eliot, “Preludes”
Seamus Heaney, “The Strand at Lough Beg” (An Elegy from the Troubles)
Seamus Heaney, “The Strand at Lough Beg” In Memory of Colum McCartney All round this little island, on the strand … Continue Reading Seamus Heaney, “The Strand at Lough Beg” (An Elegy from the Troubles)
Karl Shapiro, “The Alphabet”
Karl Shapiro, “The Alphabet” The letters of the Jews as strict as flames Or little terrible flowers lean Stubbornly upwards … Continue Reading Karl Shapiro, “The Alphabet”
Karl Shapiro, Two War Poems (“Troop Train,” “Homecoming”)
Troop Train It stops the town we come through. Workers raise Their oily arms in good salute and grin. Kids … Continue Reading Karl Shapiro, Two War Poems (“Troop Train,” “Homecoming”)
Thom Gunn, “On the Move”
Thom Gunn, “On the Move” “Man, you gotta Go.” The blue jay scuffling in the bushes follows Some hidden purpose, … Continue Reading Thom Gunn, “On the Move”
Thom Gunn, “No Speech from the Scaffold”
Thom Gunn, “No Speech from the Scaffold” There will be no speech from the scaffold, the scene must be its … Continue Reading Thom Gunn, “No Speech from the Scaffold”
Yvor Winters, “Time and the Garden”
Yvor Winters, “Time and the Garden” The spring has darkened with activity. The future gathers in vine, bush, and tree: … Continue Reading Yvor Winters, “Time and the Garden”
Yvor Winters, “The Slow Pacific Swell”
Yvor Winters, “The Slow Pacific Swell” Far out of sight forever stands the sea, Bounding the land with pale tranquillity. … Continue Reading Yvor Winters, “The Slow Pacific Swell”
Laurie Sheck, “Pompeii”
Laurie Sheck, “Pompeii” Covered with lapilli we crouch preserved as we were on that first day The last one of … Continue Reading Laurie Sheck, “Pompeii”
Czeslaw Milosz, “My Faithful Mother Tongue”
Czeslaw Milosz, “My Faithful Mother Tongue” Faithful mother tongue, I have been serving you. Every night, I used to set … Continue Reading Czeslaw Milosz, “My Faithful Mother Tongue”
Eavan Boland, “The Mother Tongue”
Eavan Boland, “The Mother Tongue” The old pale ditch can still be seen less than half a mile from my … Continue Reading Eavan Boland, “The Mother Tongue”
Genevieve Taggard, “To One Loved Wholly Within Wisdom”
Genevieve Taggard, “To One Loved Wholly Within Wisdom” Someone will reap you like a field, Pile your gathered plunder, Garner … Continue Reading Genevieve Taggard, “To One Loved Wholly Within Wisdom”
Genevieve Taggard, “To the Powers of Desolation”
Genevieve Taggard, “To the Powers of Desolation” O mortal boy we cannot stop The leak in that great wall where … Continue Reading Genevieve Taggard, “To the Powers of Desolation”
W. B. Yeats, “A Prayer for My Daughter”
W. B. Yeats, “A Prayer for My Daughter” Once more the storm is howling, and half hid Under this cradle-hood … Continue Reading W. B. Yeats, “A Prayer for My Daughter”
W. B. Yeats, “A Prayer for My Son”
W. B. Yeats, “A Prayer for My Son” Bid a strong ghost stand at the head That my Michael may … Continue Reading W. B. Yeats, “A Prayer for My Son”
e e cummings, Two Love Poems
e e cummings, Two Love Poems “in spite of everything” in spite of everything which breathes and moves,since Doom (with … Continue Reading e e cummings, Two Love Poems
Marge Piercy, “Girl in white”
Marge Piercy, “Girl in white” Don’t think because her petal thighs leap and her slight breasts flatten against your chest … Continue Reading Marge Piercy, “Girl in white”
The Business of Hell (new crime poem)
The Business of Hell If you were in a room with them, you were in a room full of people … Continue Reading The Business of Hell (new crime poem)
“Decay is a tremendous smith”: new poem at Amethyst
Many thanks to Sarah Law, for publishing “Mr Cassian’s 51st Dream” at Amethyst. Back in August, she also published “Mr … Continue Reading “Decay is a tremendous smith”: new poem at Amethyst
Wordsworth, from “Poems on the Naming of Places”
Wordsworth, from “Poems on the Naming of Places It was an April Morning: fresh and clear The Rivulet, delighting in … Continue Reading Wordsworth, from “Poems on the Naming of Places”
Archibald MacLeish, “Voyage West”
Archibald MacLeish, “Voyage West” There was a time for discoveries — For the headlands looming above in the First light … Continue Reading Archibald MacLeish, “Voyage West”
Marsden Hartley, “Fishmonger”
Marsden Hartley, “Fishmonger” I have taken scales from off The cheeks of the moon. I have made fins from bluejays’ … Continue Reading Marsden Hartley, “Fishmonger”
Robinson Jeffers, “Shiva”
Robinson Jeffers, “Shiva” There is a hawk that is picking the birds out of our sky. She killed the pigeons … Continue Reading Robinson Jeffers, “Shiva”
Robinson Jeffers, “Vulture”
Robinson Jeffers, “Vulture” I had walked since dawn and lay down to rest on a bare hillside Above the ocean. … Continue Reading Robinson Jeffers, “Vulture”
Ted Hughes – “Crow’s Song about God”
Ted Hughes – “Crow’s Song about God” Somebody is sittingUnder the gatepost of heavenUnder the lintelOn which are written the … Continue Reading Ted Hughes – “Crow’s Song about God”
Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Spring”
Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Spring” To what purpose, April, do you return again? Beauty is not enough. You can no … Continue Reading Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Spring”
Conrad Aiken, “Preludes for Memnon”
Conrad Aiken, from “Preludes to Memnon” I Winter for a moment takes the mind; the snow Falls past the arclight; … Continue Reading Conrad Aiken, “Preludes for Memnon”
H. D., “Sea Iris,” “Sea Violet”
Sea Iris I Weed, moss-weed, root tangled in sand, sea-iris, brittle flower, one petal like a shell is broken, and … Continue Reading H. D., “Sea Iris,” “Sea Violet”
20th Century Poetry #20: Edgar Lee Masters
Edgar Lee Masters (1868-1950) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #20: Edgar Lee Masters
Ezra Pound, “Portrait d’une Femme”
Ezra Pound, “Portrait d’une Femme” Your mind and you are our Sargasso Sea, London has swept about you this score … Continue Reading Ezra Pound, “Portrait d’une Femme”
Carl Sandburg, “Chicago”
Carl Sandburg, “Chicago” Hog Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight … Continue Reading Carl Sandburg, “Chicago”
20th Century Poetry #19: Louis MacNeice
Louis MacNeice (1907-1963) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #19: Louis MacNeice
Amy Lowell, “Lilacs”
Amy Lowell, “Lilacs” Lilacs, False blue, White, Purple, Color of lilac, Your great puffs of flowers Are everywhere in this … Continue Reading Amy Lowell, “Lilacs”
Edith Wharton, “Terminus”
Edith Wharton, “Terminus” Wonderful was the long secret night you gave me, my Lover, Palm to palm, breast to breast … Continue Reading Edith Wharton, “Terminus”
20th Century Poetry #18: T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #18: T. S. Eliot
Wordsworth & Eternity at St. Paul’s
I’m stunned every time I read this: one of Wordsworth’s best short poems (& that’s saying something), & perhaps one … Continue Reading Wordsworth & Eternity at St. Paul’s
Dante, Through the Fire
Here’s one of the great moments in poetry: Canto 27 of Dante’s Purgatorio, where Dante passes through the fire, and … Continue Reading Dante, Through the Fire
Adrienne Rich: 4 Love Poems
from 21 Love Poems: 1 Whenever in this city, screens flicker with pornography, with science-fiction vampires, victimized hirelings bending to … Continue Reading Adrienne Rich: 4 Love Poems
20th Century Poetry #17: R. S. Thomas
R. S. Thomas (1913-2000) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #17: R. S. Thomas
Laurie Sheck’s poem “The Stockroom”
Back in the late nineties when a place called Borders Outlet still existed and Amazon was only a few years … Continue Reading Laurie Sheck’s poem “The Stockroom”
Ship in Air
Here’s a nice anecdote told twice, first from some anonymous Irish source, and then Seamus Heaney’s version of it in … Continue Reading Ship in Air
Heaney Comes to Poetry
Here are some of Seamus Heaney’s memories of reading, writing, and poetry, from earliest schooldays to university, all taken from … Continue Reading Heaney Comes to Poetry
3 Poems of Adolescent Love & Hazing by Robert Lowell
Bobby Delano The labor to breathe that younger, rawer air: St. Mark’s last football game with Groton lost on the … Continue Reading 3 Poems of Adolescent Love & Hazing by Robert Lowell
John Donne: Holy Sonnets & Good Friday
“Death, be not proud” Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not … Continue Reading John Donne: Holy Sonnets & Good Friday
20th Century Poetry #16: Vernon Watkins
VERNON WATKINS (1906-1967) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #16: Vernon Watkins
Robert Pinsky, “The Figured Wheel”
The Figured Wheel, by Robert Pinsky The figured wheel rolls through shopping malls and prisons, Over farms, small and immense, … Continue Reading Robert Pinsky, “The Figured Wheel”
20th Century Poetry #15: C. Day-Lewis
C. DAY-LEWIS (1904-1972) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #15: C. Day-Lewis
Heaney on Writing
Here’s Seamus Heaney talking about writing, from Dennis O’Driscoll’s book-length interview with him, Stepping Stones: On Inspiration On the week … Continue Reading Heaney on Writing
20th Century Poetry #14: Stevie Smith
20th Century Poetry #13: Basil Bunting
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #13: Basil Bunting
20th Century Poetry #12: D. H. Lawrence
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #12: D. H. Lawrence
5 Elegies by Seamus Heaney
from “Clearances” When all the others were away at Mass I was all hers as we peeled potatoes. They broke … Continue Reading 5 Elegies by Seamus Heaney
20th Century Poetry #11: Rudyard Kipling
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #11: Rudyard Kipling
The Melancholy of William Blake
No matter how poor he got, and no matter what of his belongings he had to sell to get by, … Continue Reading The Melancholy of William Blake
20th Century Poetry #9: Susan Miles
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #9: Susan Miles
20th Century Poetry #8: Wilfred Owen & the Poetry of World War One
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #8: Wilfred Owen & the Poetry of World War One
20th Century Poetry #7: W. B. Yeats
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #7: W. B. Yeats
20th Century Poetry #6: John Squire & the Poetry of Protest
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #6: John Squire & the Poetry of Protest
20th Century Poetry #5: Edward Thomas
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #5: Edward Thomas
20th Century Poetry #4: Laurence Binyon
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #4: Laurence Binyon
William Blake Chooses Eternity
A wonderful paragraph from Peter Ackroyd’s biography of William Blake, where he shows how the poet slowly came to accept … Continue Reading William Blake Chooses Eternity
20th Century Poetry #3: W. H. Davies
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #3: W. H. Davies
20th Century Poetry #2: A. E. Housman
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #2: A. E. Housman
20th Century Poetry #1: Thomas Hardy
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #1: Thomas Hardy
Advice to a Young Poet, from Ezra Pound
The late poet and translator W. S. Merwin, who died only last month at ninety-one, has left us a remarkable … Continue Reading Advice to a Young Poet, from Ezra Pound
Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”
“Out, Out – ” The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks … Continue Reading Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”
Wordsworth & Eternity at St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s Pressed with conflicting thoughts of love and fear I parted from thee, Friend! and took my way Through … Continue Reading Wordsworth & Eternity at St. Paul’s
Yeats Discovers Poetry
Here’s W. B. Yeats recalling his earliest experiences of poetry: ….This may have come from the stable-boy, for he was … Continue Reading Yeats Discovers Poetry
Yeats Comes to the Occult
Here is W. B. Yeats, remembering some of his early experiences with the occult and supernatural. All taken from his … Continue Reading Yeats Comes to the Occult
Virginia Woolf Meets T. S. Eliot
From Virginia Woolf’s Diary on November 21, 1918: I was interrupted somewhere on this page by the arrival of Mr … Continue Reading Virginia Woolf Meets T. S. Eliot
Ted Hughes: “Devon Riviera” (poem)
Strange to find a Hughes poem more populated by people than animals; & you can tell he’s not happy about … Continue Reading Ted Hughes: “Devon Riviera” (poem)
Hart Crane & His Father
In early January, 1924, the poet Hart Crane, twenty-four and basically broke, received a letter from his father offering to … Continue Reading Hart Crane & His Father
T. S. Eliot & His Father
Here is a favorite bit from a youthful T. S. Eliot (he’s just turned thirty but that’s young to me … Continue Reading T. S. Eliot & His Father
Daedalus & Icarus (poem)
Daedalus & Icarus The old craftsman came to Cumae after a long life of art and flight, love and theft, … Continue Reading Daedalus & Icarus (poem)
A Disciple of Pythagoras Wins a Chariot Race (poem)
A Disciple of Pythagoras Wins a Chariot Race Some oil there in the dirt, some spices gathered into the shape … Continue Reading A Disciple of Pythagoras Wins a Chariot Race (poem)
Odin & Baldr (poem)
Odin & Baldr The High One heard the lowest prophecy: already riddled with the worst of dreams, his boy Baldr … Continue Reading Odin & Baldr (poem)
Kafka’s Sisters & The Remains of Old Yeats (2 poems)
Kafka’s Sisters With thanks I was tubercular and dead by early summer nineteen twenty-four, long in the grave with my … Continue Reading Kafka’s Sisters & The Remains of Old Yeats (2 poems)
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 13: “The perfect image of a mighty mind, of one that feeds upon infinity”
Here are excerpts from the last book of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude. Other excerpts are here. In one of these … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 13: “The perfect image of a mighty mind, of one that feeds upon infinity”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 12: “making verse deal boldly with substantial things”
Throughout the summer I hope to post my favorite bits from Wordworth’s 1805 Prelude. Book 12 continues his meditations in … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 12: “making verse deal boldly with substantial things”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 11: “Habits of devoutest sympathy”
Excerpts from Book 11 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, which he calls “Imagination, How Impaired and Restored.” Other excerpts are here. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 11: “Habits of devoutest sympathy”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 10: “In the very world which is the world of all of us, the place in which, in the end, we find our happiness, or not at all “
Excerpts from Book 10 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, where he concludes his story of being in France during the Revolution. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 10: “In the very world which is the world of all of us, the place in which, in the end, we find our happiness, or not at all “
5 Poems by Robinson Jeffers: “Lend me the stone strength of the past”
The Maid’s Thought Why listen, even the water is sobbing for something. The west wind is dead, the waves Forget … Continue Reading 5 Poems by Robinson Jeffers: “Lend me the stone strength of the past”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 9: “I saw the revolutionary power toss like a ship at anchor”
Excerpts from Book 9 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, where he begins his story of being in France during the Revolution. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 9: “I saw the revolutionary power toss like a ship at anchor”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 8: “A weight of ages did at once descend upon my heart”
Excerpts from Book 8 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, which he titles “Love of Nature Leading to Love of Mankind.” Other … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 8: “A weight of ages did at once descend upon my heart”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 7: “This parliament of monsters”
Excerpts from Book 7 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, on his time living in London. Other excerpts are here. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 7: “This parliament of monsters”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 6: “No absence scarcely can there be, for those who love as we do.”
Excerpts from Book 6 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, on his friendship with Coleridge. Other excerpts are here. There is … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 6: “No absence scarcely can there be, for those who love as we do.”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 5: “Stirred to ecstasy by glittering verse”
Excerpts from Book 5 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, on his love for books. Other excerpts are here. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 5: “Stirred to ecstasy by glittering verse”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 4: “Need I say, dear friend, that to the brim my heart was full?”
Excerpts from Book 4 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, on his time home from college. Other excerpts are here. … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 4: “Need I say, dear friend, that to the brim my heart was full?”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 3: “Unknown, unthought of, yet I was most rich”
Excerpts from Book 3 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, on his years at Cambridge. Other excerpts are here. Things they … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 3: “Unknown, unthought of, yet I was most rich”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 2: “The self-sufficing power of solitude”
Excerpts from Book 2 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude. Other excerpts are here. Thus the pride of strength And the … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 2: “The self-sufficing power of solitude”
Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 1: “Invigorating thoughts from former years”
Excerpts from Book 1 of Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude. Other excerpts are here. Time, place, and manners, these I seek, … Continue Reading Wordsworth’s 1805 Prelude, Book 1: “Invigorating thoughts from former years”
“the shining days when the world was new”: Virgil Greets the Spring
From the second of Virgil’s Georgics, translated by David Ferry: It’s spring that adorns the woods and groves with leaves; … Continue Reading “the shining days when the world was new”: Virgil Greets the Spring
Ted Hughes: 2 War Poems
Six Young Men The celluloid of a photograph holds them well – Six young men, familiar to their friends. Four … Continue Reading Ted Hughes: 2 War Poems
Emily Dickinson & Wallace Stevens Climb a Mountain
Emily Dickinson, #975 The Mountain sat upon the Plain In his tremendous Chair – His observation omnifold, His inquest, everywhere … Continue Reading Emily Dickinson & Wallace Stevens Climb a Mountain
Emily Dickinson Affirms a Soul
#1142 The Props assist the House Until the House is built And then the Props withdraw And adequate, erect, The … Continue Reading Emily Dickinson Affirms a Soul
Dylan Thomas: “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower”
The force that through the green fuse drives the flower The force that through the green fuse drives the flower … Continue Reading Dylan Thomas: “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower”
Allen Ginsberg, “Paterson”
Paterson What do I want in these rooms papered with visions of money? How much can I make by cutting … Continue Reading Allen Ginsberg, “Paterson”
Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”
“Out, Out – ” The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks … Continue Reading Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”
Hart Crane: “My Grandmother’s Love Letters”
My Grandmother’s Love Letters There are no stars tonight But those of memory. Yet how much room for memory there … Continue Reading Hart Crane: “My Grandmother’s Love Letters”
Mary Robinson’s Poem “A London Summer Morning”
After finishing To the House of the Sun, a poem mostly reliant on translations of ancient poetry (and in some … Continue Reading Mary Robinson’s Poem “A London Summer Morning”
“All I know is a door into the dark”: 2 Poems by Seamus Heaney
A young Seamus Heaney recalls a blacksmith from his boyhood, while a much older Seamus Heaney illustrates the sometimes excessive … Continue Reading “All I know is a door into the dark”: 2 Poems by Seamus Heaney
Walt Whitman, “A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim”
Walt Whitman, early 1863, looking on the Civil War dead: A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim … Continue Reading Walt Whitman, “A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim”
The Poet Speaks #14: Kafka Tries Again & Again
Here are some bits from Kafka’s Diaries, trying & failing to harmonize his writing life with his family and work … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #14: Kafka Tries Again & Again
The Poet Speaks #13: Richard Wilbur & John Berryman: “The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him”
Even though I’ve never read a word of his poetry, John Berryman has been haunting me lately. Two friends who … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #13: Richard Wilbur & John Berryman: “The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him”
The Poet Speaks #12: Ralph Ellison, Anthony Burgess, James Dickey
If the Negro, or any other writer, is going to do what is expected of him, he’s lost the battle … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #12: Ralph Ellison, Anthony Burgess, James Dickey
The Poet Speaks #11: George Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Philip Levine, Stephen King, Seamus Heaney: “struggling erring human creatures”
George Eliot, on empathy: The greatest benefit we owe to the artist, whether painter, poet, or novelist, is the extension … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #11: George Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Philip Levine, Stephen King, Seamus Heaney: “struggling erring human creatures”
The Poet Speaks #9: Geoffrey Hill, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsberg, James Merrill, Ursula K. Le Guin: “We are difficult”
On the supposed “difficulty” of his poetry: We are difficult. Human beings are difficult. We’re difficult to ourselves, we’re difficult … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #9: Geoffrey Hill, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsberg, James Merrill, Ursula K. Le Guin: “We are difficult”
The Poet Speaks #8: Patti Smith, Toni Morrison, T. S. Eliot, Hart Crane: “I shall make every sacrifice toward that end”
As even “nerd culture” and all the rest just becomes another snobby fad and pop culture corner to hide in, … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #8: Patti Smith, Toni Morrison, T. S. Eliot, Hart Crane: “I shall make every sacrifice toward that end”
The Poet Speaks #7: Bronowski, Bloom, Munro, Gilbert, Trevor
On why he turned from more specialized to more popular writing on science and culture: Because of that [the use … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #7: Bronowski, Bloom, Munro, Gilbert, Trevor
The Poet Speaks #6: Yeats & Blake
Some great quotes from W. B. Yeats and William Blake, chosen almost at random from two good biographies of them; … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #6: Yeats & Blake
The Poet Speaks #5: Hughes, Auden, Hall, Pinsky, Collins
On why he wrote about animals so much: I suppose because they were there at the beginning. Like parents. Since … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #5: Hughes, Auden, Hall, Pinsky, Collins
The Poet Speaks #4: O’Connor, Campbell, Merwin, Walcott, van Gogh
Flannery O’Connor responds to questions from academics and their students about her short stories: Week before last I went to … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #4: O’Connor, Campbell, Merwin, Walcott, van Gogh
The Poet Speaks #3: Snodgrass, Beethoven, Hollander, Kunitz, Milosz
Advice to aspiring poets: If you can, get out. Everything else in the world pays better. Everything else in the … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #3: Snodgrass, Beethoven, Hollander, Kunitz, Milosz
The Poet Speaks #2: Leonardo, Williams, Bishop, Meredith, Ashbery
Quotes from all over on art & creativity: [Leonardo] was always less concerned with the finishing of a picture than … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #2: Leonardo, Williams, Bishop, Meredith, Ashbery
The Poet Speaks #1: Fitzgerald, Larkin, Paz, Lowell, Aiken
A new series of quotes from everywhere on writing and creativity: I was in the Navy, and I worked at … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #1: Fitzgerald, Larkin, Paz, Lowell, Aiken
T. S. Eliot on Dante
Is there anything better than T. S. Eliot talking about his debt to Dante? Here is the majority of his … Continue Reading T. S. Eliot on Dante
Wallace Stevens, Intergalactic Planetary
Here are some bits on writing, nature, and anonymous everyday life from Wallace Stevens, that quiet murmur of American poetry … Continue Reading Wallace Stevens, Intergalactic Planetary
