Poets and Poems looks at “Poems to Elsi” by R.S. Thomas, which provides insight into the Thomas marriage of more than 50 years.
Poets and Poems: Roger McGough’s “As Far As I Know”
A Poets and Poems review of Roger McGough’s “As Far As I Know, ” a collection of poems published last year that includes both serious and fun poems.
Poets and Poems: Jean Sprackland’s “Sleeping Keys”
Jean Sprackland’s “Sleeping Keys” quietly underscores the importance of what lies unrecognized and forgotten—a thoughtful selection for Poets and Poems.
Poets and Poems: Billy Collins and “Aimless Love”
For Poets and Poems this week, we feature Poet Billy Collins’ new collection, Aimless Love–a welcome addition to his body of work.
Poets and Poems: Patricia Smith
This week’s “Poets and Poems” highlights Patricia Smith’s work, including her poem “They Romp with Wooly Canines” and her performance of “Skinhead.”
Poets and Poems: Talking About Movies with Jesus
A review of David Kirby’s “Talking About Movies with Jesus: Poems” that uses the style of the poems as the structure of the review.
Poetry: The Teachers Who Teach Us
The teachers we have in middle school and high school can have a profound influence on how we understand and appreciate poetry throughout our lives.
Poets and Poems: Seamus Heaney
Appreciating poets and poems even more by reading Seamus Heaney’s “Opened Ground” alongside Frank O’Driscoll’s “Stepping Stones, ” whose interviews add depth to the poems.
Poetry Review: Frank Bidart’s “Metaphysical Dog”
Frank Bidart’s latest poetry collection, Metaphysical Dog, should be read as one long poem rather than 39 individual poems.
Poetry at Work: Casey at the Bat
The 1888 popular poem “Casey at the Bat” has much to teach us about the over-confidence and pride that leads to failure at work.
Poet in New York: Federico García Lorca
A new edition of Federico García Lorca’s “Poet in New York” adds depth and understanding to what we know about the poet.
Now Look Who’s Writing Poetry: Cats
Cats write poems about family, work, play, and existence in I Could Pee on This by Francesco Marciuliano.
Poetry at Work: The Work of a Poet Laureate
Ava Leavell Haymon was recently named Louisiana’s poet laureate. Walter Bargen, a former poet laureate for Missouri, has some insights into what that means.
Poetry Review: Mark Jarman’s “Bone Fires”
A review of “Bone Fires: News and Selected Poems, ” by Mark Jarman, notes his development of the themes of family, faith, and doubt.
Poet Focus: Marianne Moore
For all of her modernist associations, Marianne Moore’s poetry didn’t exactly fit the category. There’s a richness, almost a lushness, in many of her poems that’s absent from the moderns. She ranged over history and literature — Rome and Greece, Britain and Ireland, and America — as well as music and the natural world.
Poetry at Work: The Poetry of Electronic Work
Like all work, the work of electronic communications contains an inherent poetry, perhaps several inherent “poetries.”
Poetry Review: A Clown at Midnight
A review of the recently published collection “A Clown at Midnight: Poems, ” by Andrew Hudgins.
Poetry at Work: The Poetry of the Interview
I was part of an interview team, talking individually with four candidates for a communication research job. Human Resources had provided us with a set of “behavioral interview” questions, which meant we would be asking things like “What’s the biggest failure you’ve ever experienced?” and “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” We followed […]
Poetry Review: The Submerged Depths of Lapse Americana
A review of Lapse Americana: Poems by Benjamin Myers, a poetry volume focused on memory, childhood and understanding.
Twitter Poetry: Spinning for Tickets for a Prayer Wheel 2
The next six poems edited from the recent Tweetspeak Twitter Poetry jam, with the prompts from Annie Dillard’s “Tickets for a Prayer Wheel.”