Take this poem

"Finding a Teacher" by W.S. Merwin

In this mini episode, my nephew reads a poem he wrote for his baby sister. Buckle your seat belt; it's dangerously adorable!

Apparently I'm not done reading Charles Wright poems to you! I've got a fever and the only cure is another dive into the bright, dark, poetic, folksy, scary, exhilarating pool of his book "Caribou". In this episode I share

"Chinoiserie II"

"Heaven's Eel"

"Life Lines"

Today's episode is dedicated to Keith Hansen, who made an ambivalent comment about this poem that I'm crazy about. I try to explain my enthrallment with this poem and Wright's latest work in general. Was it a success or 

"a raid on the inarticulate
With shabby equipment always deteriorating" ?
(T.S. Eliot) 

Who knows? But it was worth a try. 

Sit yourself down at Uncle Keith's knee; he's got some poems to read to you...about fambly. 

"But I felt: you are an I,
you are an Elizabeth,
you are one of them."

 

This poem is a story...in which a hot waiting room and a National Geographic magazine provoke a little girl's painful recognition of herself. 

 

"In The Waiting Room" by Elizabeth Bishop

Keith Hansen brings us Denise Levertov's grouping of poems titled "Lake, Mountain, Moon." These are lush, grand, and worth listening to with closed eyes and a still body...if you can pull that off. 

You know what's adorable? Hearing your dear ol' college roommate's voice echo in the voices of her two young sons... and to hear those voices saying poems. Lincoln (8) shares a poem by Rosetti, and Will (10) shares a poem of his very own. He said his favorite thing about poetry is that there is a poem for everything... and ain't that the truth. 

 

Caterpillar

by Christina Rosetti 

Brown and furry
Caterpillar in a hurry,
Take your walk
To the shady leaf, or stalk,
Or what not,
Which may be the chosen spot.
No toad spy you,
Hovering bird of prey pass by you;
Spin and die,
To live again a butterfly.

I hope my Welsh listeners won't give me too much trouble over the fact that St. David's Day is long past... better late, eh?

This is a rich episode from Keith Hansen! He brings us "Miracle On St. David's Day" by Gillian Clarke, which beautifully reflects on the power of memorized poetry. Keith also shares Malcome Guite's remarks on the poem, and throws in Wordsworth's  dreamy "Daffodils" as a bonus! ENJOY!

 

Gillian Clarke's Poem

https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/miracle-on-st-davids-day/

Wordsworth's poem:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45521/i-wandered-lonely-as-a-cloud

Humans and horses: a mythic combination. These two poems dig around in that a little bit, helping me ponder what people are really talking about when they talk about horses. 

"Of Unsent Letters, One" by Jill Ossier, from her collection The Solace is Not the Lullaby

"A Blessing" by James Wright