The Civil War has long been used as a lens for interpreting, understanding, and advocating contemporary issues. So has the poetry about the Civil War.
The 2017 Walt Whitman Award: “Eye Level” by Jenny Xie
“Eye Level” by Jenny Xie, a collection of poems marked by spareness and precision, is the 2017 winner of the Walt Whitman Award.
Alan Seeger: The American Poet in World War I
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.
Poetry Prompt: The Tanka’s Turn
Can you write a poem in 31 syllables that takes the reader in an unexpected direction?
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.
Tanka Poetry Prompt: What’s a Tanka?
This month, we’ll explore the ancient Japanese form called the tanka. This lesser known form might be thought of as haiku’s quiet older sibling.
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.
Birthdays & Birthstones Poetry Prompt—The Tempest as Fairy Tale
Explore Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and write a fairy tale poem about a royal birth where magic is afoot and things aren’t what they seem.
Birthdays & Birthstones Poetry Prompt: Celebration
Join us as we write about celebrating birthdays, and consider how the formal aspects of our poems add emotional resonance to personal observations.
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.
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.”
Take Your Poet to School Week: Ogden Nash
Our preparation for this year’s Take Your Poet to School Week continues with the light and whimsical poems of Ogden Nash.
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.
Take Your Poet to School: Robert Louis Stevenson
Don’t let the folks with briefcases have all the fun. Join in the brand new celebration of Take Your Poet to School Week with our fun cut ‘n color poets on a stick.
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.
Top 10 Best Limericks
Far from the girl from Nantucket, this collection of 10 best Limericks from our community features iguanas, a ’74 Barracuda, and a bonus letter from Santa (on Spain).