Poetry Wednesday: “God’s Grandeur”

Sometimes “religious” poem smacks of over-sentimentality. In that case, this isn’t a religious poem. Gerald Manley Hopkins is a master with words, a Victorian poet who reminds us of the “bright wings” of the world. And check out the reading by Stanley Kunitz, another poet. [Note: For some reason I was having difficulty with theContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “God’s Grandeur””

Poetry Wednesday: “The Rose that Grew from Concrete” and “In the Event of My Demise”

I claim to know very little about Tupac Shakur, but, in addition to being a legendary rapper, he was an artist and a poet. Despite a hard life, young Tupac was enrolled in various programs where he studied acting, poetry, jazz, and even ballet. He used his words to raise awareness of the harsh realities ofContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “The Rose that Grew from Concrete” and “In the Event of My Demise””

Poetry Wednesday: “Death, be not proud”

  John Donne, a 17th century English poet, wrote “Death, be not proud,” a sonnet, in 1609. This particular poem was published posthumously along with a group of other poems in a collection known as his Holy Sonnets. These sonnets explore deep religious themes and are thought to have been written in a period ofContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “Death, be not proud””

Poetry Wednesday: “Do not go gentle into that good night”

Dylan Thomas, a Welsh poet who died in 1953 at the age of 39, wrote (among other significant works) “Do not go gentle into that good night.” It is one of my favorite poems and feels truly inspired especially when one considers the strict form it is written in: the Villanelle. Please read and listenContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “Do not go gentle into that good night””

Poetry Wednesday: “Theme for English B”

There’s been a lot of controversy brewing again, and again it involves race. Is America as free as we’ve always been taught? Is Colin Kaepernick a nuisance or a hero for refusing to stand during the national anthem? Is the hidden stanza of The Star Spangled Banner directly racist after all? No matter where you standContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “Theme for English B””

Poetry Wednesday: “The Peace of Wild Things”

[Here is my first post entitled “Poetry Wednesday.” This is a pretty new blog to begin with, but this particular idea is fresh-outta-the-oven-new. I like the medium of poetry. I once heard someone describe dance as a pure art since dancers rarely get famous and the peak of a dancer’s life is so short (they’re bodies literally cannotContinue reading “Poetry Wednesday: “The Peace of Wild Things””