A visiting card in an 1899 edition of “Longfellow’s Complete Poems” leads to stories of German immigrants, St. Louis history, and even beer.
Childhood, Poetry, and History: “The Courtship of Miles Standish”
Reading “The Courtship of Miles Standish” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow brings memories of childhood, poetry, and history.
The Poem as Modern Myth: “Evangeline” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Evangeline” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow resurrected an almost forgotten event in Canadian and American history and helped shaped a regional people.
Our Best-Known Patriotic Poem: Longfellow Visits a Church
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow climbed the stairs of the Old North Church tower in Boston in April, 1860; the result was America’s best-known patriotic poem.
The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: “Olio” by Tyehimba Jess
The Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection “Olio” by Tyehimba Jess bends poetry our of its familiar groove to tell a story few Americans know.
Poets and Poems: Frank Stanford and “The Light the Dead See”
Frank Stanford (1948-1978) embodied William Wordsworth’s “The Child is father of the Man” in both his life and his poetry.
2016 Pulitzer Prize: “Ozone Journal” by Peter Balakian
“Ozone Journal’ by Peter Balakian, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, challenges, provokes, and helps us to see in a different light.
Walt Whitman in Brooklyn: Newspapers and “Leaves of Grass”
Walt Whitman lived for 22 years in Brooklyn, and the city exerted a powerful influence on his poetry, especially “Leaves of Grass.”
Poets and Poems: Donald Hall and “Selected Poems”
Donald Hall says he can’t write poetry any more. His new “Selected Poems” demonstrates the sufficiency of what he’s written.
Robert Frost and “The Road Not Taken”
Author David Orr argues that “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost is both the best known and most misunderstood American poem.
Poets and Poems: Hart Crane, “The Bridge” and Me
Reading “The Bridge” by Hart Crane is an exploration into the love for the literature of Realism and Modernism – and the reasons for that love.
Poets and Poems: Daniel Bowman Jr.’s “A Plum Tree in Leatherstocking Country”
“A Plum Tree in Leatherstocking Country” by Daniel Bowman Jr.is a beautiful collection, poems of quiet, reflection, and memory.
National Poetry Month: Show Us Your (Poetry) Jeans
It’s National Poetry Month, and all month long, we want to see your poetry jeans. Get featured, shared, or even published in our e-book? It could happen.
Poets and Poems: Jeannine Hall Gailey and “The Robot Scientist’s Daughter”
“The Robot Scientist’s Daughter” by Jeannine Hall Gailey is a story of point-counterpoint of nature and technology, and the bargain we make between them.
Poets and Poems: Jake Adam York and “Abide”
Published posthumously, “Abide” is Jake Adam York’s continued memorial to the 126 people who died from 1954 to 1968 in the civil rights movement.
Poets and Poems: William Stafford and “Ask Me”
William Stafford had a unique poetic voice that transcended literary movements. “Ask Me: 100 Essential Poems” provides a window into that voice.
Wallace Stevens and Walking the Landscape
Landscape has been an inspiration to poets, including Wallace Stevens, who comes along for a hike near St. Louis to help find the poetry of the landscape.
Poetry for Life: “Wasted Beauty” at Tavern of Fine Arts
We found poetry in our own community, both formal and informal, historical and contemporary. And we found it at the Tavern of Fine Arts.