One of the most famous poems to emerge from World War I was written by an American. Alan Seeger wrote “I Have a Rendezvous with Death” shortly before he died.
Poets and Poems: Sofia Starnes and “The Consequence of Moonlight”
The Consequence of Moonlight, the latest collection of poetry by former Virginia Poet Laureate Sofia Starnes, reads like a vivid dream.
Poets and Poems: Susan Lewis and “Zoom”
“Zoom” by Susan Lewis contains 57 poems representing a wild romp through words, language, phrases, metaphors, and just about everything else.
Poets and Poems: Mark Burrows and “The Chance for Home”
To read “The Chance for Home” by Mark Burrows is to immerse oneself in the quiet beauty of memory, experience, reflection, and, ultimately, hope.
“The Fall of Arthur” – A Fragment by J.R.R. Tolkien
The legend of King Arthur has captivated imaginations for centuries. Geoffrey of Monmouth started it, and even J.R.R. Tolkien tried his hand at it.
Poets and Poems: Athena Kildegaard and “Course”
The poems of “Course” by Athena Kildegaard provide a kind of natural sanctuary, where one comes to watch and to listen to what the landscape has to say.
“The Old Curiosity Shop:” Charles Dickens and a Road Trip!
“The Old Curiosity Shop” by Charles Dickens, with some of the author’s most memorable characters, isn’t about a shop at all — it’s about a road trip.
Poets and Poems: Darren Demaree and “Two Towns Over”
The 56 poems of “Two Towns Over” by poet Darren Demaree powerfully document the devastation of the opioid addiction crisis.
Poets and Poems: Karen Paul Holmes and “No Such Thing as Distance”
In her new poetry collection “No Such Thing as Distance,” what matters most to Karen Paul Holmes, both in her head and her heart, is family.
Take Your Poet to School Week: Eugene Field, the Poet of Childhood
Eugene Field is perhaps the perfect poet for Take Your Poet to School Week. It was the schoolchildren of St. Louis who saved his house from demolition.
Shakespeare (via Ian Doescher) Does Star Wars
Writer Ian Doescher has taken the stories of “Star Wars” and applied Shakespeare to them, as in “The Empire Striketh Back.”
The Poetry of Farming: “Water at the Roots” by Philip Britts
“Water in the Roots,” a collection of the writings and poetry of Philip Britts, describes the life, faith, and farming practices of the Bruderhof community.
Finding Jack Gilbert and “Refusing Heaven” in a Bookstore
Finding “Refusing Heaven” by Jack Gilbert in a Chicago-area bookstore leads to a consideration of what matters in these lives we live.
Francis Ledwidge: Reconsidering a War Poet
Irish poet Francis Ledwidge is not one of the better known poets of World War I, because he was an Irishman who fought for the British Army.
The Floodgate Poetry Series: Three Chapbooks
The Floodgate Poetry Series brings together three poetry chapbooks that demonstrate some of the beautiful poetry being written today.
Poets and Poems: Clive James and “Injury Time”
Once told he had only months to live, Clive James wrote a book of poetry. The months became years, and now he’s written another, “Injury Time.”
Novel, Poetry, Both? Max Porter and “Grief Is the Thing with Feathers”
“Grief Is the Thing with Feathers” by British author Max Porter is officially a novel, but it could also be poetry, or something else. And it’s wonderful.
Poets and Poems: Matt Duggan and “One Million Tiny Cuts”
“One Million Tiny Cuts” by poet Matt Duggan is a bold, angry collection of poems, full of vivid images and metaphors, and a kind of fist raised at society.
The T.S. Eliot Prize: “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong
“Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong has won the 2017 T.S. Eliot Prize. It is a stunning, haunting, and disquieting collection.
Poets and Poems: Michael Pedersen and “Oyster”
“Oyster” by Scottish poet Michael Pedersen is a jarring, irreverent poetry collection that wallops you with unexpected tenderness.