I will be out of town from Aug. 23 until Oct. 3. I am hoping to be back for Oct. 4 for the Pittsford Discussion.
Aug. 23
To Make a Prairie -- Emily Dickinson
Golden Shovel [1]by Kimiko Hahn
The Golden Shovel by Terrance Hayes
Invented Landscape by L.A. Johnson
Tyranny of the Milky Way by Claudia Castro Luna
The Meaning of Simplicity by Yannis Ritsos (trans. by Rae Dalven)
[1] Form invented by Terrance Hayes. https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/golden-shovel-poetic-formYou will see how he imitated Gwendolyn Brooks' use of the repeated end word "We" in her poem "We Real Cool" (The Pool Players/ 7 at the Golden Shovel). https://poets.org/poem/we-real-cool In hommage to her, he uses her entire poem, word by word, ending each line. Some poets have done this with first words of each line, rather like an acrostic.
**
Aug. 30
Elegy, Surrounded by Seven Trees by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
The poems below selected by John Lee Clark,the deaf-blind poet who wrote How to Communicate. This short interview explains his choices!
Dear America by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
A New National Anthem by Ada Limón 1976
United by Naomi Shihab Nye
Old South Meeting House by January Gill O’Neil
***
Sept. 6
Dust to Dust by George Pestana
Passing Through by Stanley Kunitz
The Quarrel by Stanley Kunitz
Let Me Begin Again by Philip Levine
The Layers by Stanley Kunitz
for a celebration of Kunitz: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1996/06/a-visionary-poet-at-ninety/304941/
Judith reports: Mary said this selection was the most philosophically gripping of any you have assembled. Paul was his ineffable, urbane self in presiding, and created a complex design to connect certain word and themes—result, a diagram that resembled an arcane illustration in some alchemical or theosophical tome…( in connection with the hourglass poem) which was amazing
O it was fine!
**
Sept. 13
Fun with form: Villanelles
Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas
Go Gentle by Bruce Bennett
Rondel of Merciless Beauty by Geoffrey Chaucer
Closures by by Oliver Tearle
If I Could Tell You by W.H. Auden
The House on the Hill by Edwin Arlington Robinson
The Waking by Theodore Roethke
Judith proposed two more: Voicemail Villanelle and Villanelle of Acheron by Dowson
Her note on Dowson: source of two memorable quotes—one of which is that of a famous novel and film, Gone With the Wind, and the second is in a famous Broadway song, and may be the title—“I’m Always True to You, Darlin’, in My Fashion” and of course I cannot remember what show. Dowson lived in the days of classical education, and the title is drawn from Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus, that is, not my brother…) Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae Sub Regno Cynarae. I Am Not Such, As I Was in the Reign of the Good Cynara. Odes Book IV.
He is very good at what he did, what he did was self-induced morbidity in large part and imitation Verlaine, (whom he translated), but also a sort of watered down Swinburne? Gets icky if indulged in a lot, and won’t feed one sturdily. Too anemic. But nice as petits fours. And of course he is immortalized as one of the models for “Enoch Soames” in the Max Beerbohm short story.
Judith also gave this recap of a "lively discussion boosted by a "newbie" Cynythia. David White, known to Paul and a few others also ambled in. Bernie had some interesting things to say, and Martin was quite inspired as well. The modern villanelle I brought was much appreciated after some of the back and forth about do not/do go gentle. I quoted Millay (of course) but only remembered the last lines, of her long poem "Moriturus" —“they shall drag me forth, screaming at the south and clutching at the north…”
Paul attempted the interesting idea of having us read the first two alternately—but folk lost their place and it got very muddled…but game attempt.
**
Sept. 20
The Caseworker Speaks of a Good Fit by DJ Savarese
Ship/Plum by Maija Haavisto
My Number by Sandra Alcosser
For Horses, For Horseflies by Jane Hirshfield
Sheep by Jane Hirshfield
Zone Rouge by Molly Underwood
**
Sept. 27: Kathy Button
Salvage by Amy Clampitt 1920 - 1994
The Illiterate by William Meredith 1919 - 2007
Pont des Arts by Rebecca Wee
Body by Alice Oswald from Falling Awake, 2016
Like tiny baby Jesus, In velour pants, sliding down your throat (a Belglan euphemism)[1]
—Jenny by Thomas Lux, from Child Made of Sand: Poems 2007-2010
Render, Render by Thomas Lux - 1946-2017
The Word that is a Prayer by Ellery Akers
Question by May Swenson
[1]Note from Kitty: C'est le petit Jesus en culotte de velours”— (according to the internet, "it's an expression you can use to express that what you’re drinking or eating is so delicious you’re having an ecstatic experience.”) Neither my husband or eye ever heard it in Belgium. However, It makes sense if you want to describe a smooth alcoholic beverage that slips down your throat and metaphorically sends you straight to heaven!
Oct. 4 + 5
Habit by Jane Hirshfield
Poem Holding Its Heart In One Fist by Jane Hirschfield
A Cedary Fragrance by Jane Hirschfield
Rock by Jane Hirschfield
You're from Nowhere by Abby Murray
October by Helen Hunt Jackson
Speech — is a prank of parliament-- by Emily Dickinson
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