Filled with flashes of deep insight, “Phases” by poet Mischa Willett covers subjects as diverse as classical antiquity and old girlfriends.
A Small Volume of Essays, A Larger World of Poetry
A book of essays first published in 1916 provides a window into poetry and its practitioners, as well as how poetry was taught in classrooms.
The James Laughlin Award: Mary Hickman and “Rayfish”
The 15 ekphrastic poems in “Rayfish” by Mary Hickman, honored with the James Laughlin Award, explore culture and its meaning.
The Walt Whitman Award: “Afterland” by Mai Der Vang
In “Afterland,” winner of the Walt Whitman Award, poet Mai Der Vang explores what happened to the Hmong people after the Vietnam War.
Poets and Poems: Denise Riley and “Say Something Back”
“Say Something Back” by British poet Denise Riley considers the ways we do and don’t communicate, almost a plea to listen and hear each other.
Poetry and World War I: It Wasn’t Only England
“Everything to Nothing” by Geert Buelens provides a fascinating look into the breadth and depth of the role poetry played in World War I.
Poets and Poems: Barbara Crooker and “Les Fauves”
“Les Fauves,” the newest collection of poetry by Barbara Crooker, is inspired by the paintings of the Fauvism movement, especially those of Henri Matisse.
Poets and Poems: Dave Malone and “You Know the Ones”
Dave Malone may write about his beloved Missouri Ozarks, but the poems he writes are universal, and about family, friends, and geography.
Poets and Poems: Bernard O’Donoghue and “The Seasons of Cullen Church”
“The Seasons of Cullen Church” by Bernard O’Donoghue is moving and soul-searching, an exploration of the memories that make a life.
Poets and Poems: Kate Tempest and “Let Them Eat Chaos”
“Let Them Eat Chaos” by Kate Tempest is a long poem written to be read aloud, and it blows up the boundaries between poetry and performance.
Poets and Poems: Angela Alaimo O’Donnell and “Still Pilgrim”
“Still Pilgrim” by poet Angela Alaimo O’Donnell tells us that both the major events of our lives and the everyday are but steps in a pilgrimage.
2016 National Book Award Winner: “The Performance of Becoming Human” by Daniel Borzutzky
“The Performance of Becoming Human” by Daniel Borzutzky won the National Book Award for Poetry, and its 18 poems confront political and social issues.
“The Children of Hurin” and “The Lay of Aotrou & Itroun” by J.R.R. Tolkien
Before “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” there were “The Children of Hurin” and “The Lay of Aotrou & Itroun” by J.R.R. Tolkien.
T.S. Eliot Prize: “Jackself” by Jacob Polley
Jacob Polley’s poetry collection “Jackself” won the T.S. Eliot Poetry Prize for 2016, and it’s a work filled with folklore, childhood, and imagination.
Poets and Poems: Kathryn Nuernberger and “The End of Pink”
James Laughlin Award winner “The End of Pink” by Kathryn Nuernberger is a wild, exuberant poetry collection, sitting there at the frontier of imagination.
St. Valentine’s Day: A Girl, a Priest, and a Letter
St. Valentine’s Day may be a huge industry today, but it started with an imprisoned priest, a young girl, and a letter in ancient Rome.
Top 10 Ship, Sail & Boat Poems
From the drifting of free verse to the mooring of form the sea is just waiting for poetry to sail in. Enjoy ten great poems about ships, sailing, and boats.
Poetic Voices: Susan Lewis and Shanna Powlus Wheeler
Susan Lewis develops a theme of uncertainty in “Heisenberg’s Salon”; Shanna Powlus Wheeler interprets childhood and memory in “Lo & Behold.”