What can I say about Emily Dickinson besides that she was a genius, a one-of-a-kind, inimitable talent, and that alongside Walt Whitman she is considered to be one of the two parents of American poetry? Shall I mention that her poems seem to belong to both the earthly and spiritual worlds, and to walk aContinue reading

In honor of National Poetry Month, every Wednesday in April I’m sharing one of my favorite poems for you to read and share with a friend, a lover, or even a foe (I promise they won’t be a foe for long). This week’s poem is taken from Love Poetry Out Loud (edited by Robert AldenContinue reading

April is National Poetry Month, the only time of year that most Americans take note of the fact that poetry is still being read and written by sentimental, idealistic people like yours truly. And to celebrate the year-round existence of poetry, I’ll be sharing a poem with you each Wednesday of this month for aContinue reading

For this, the final Wednesday of National Poetry Month, I’ve decided to go with one of my favorite poems from a contemporary poet. Billy Collins is clever and relevant and perfect to read aloud–partly because the meter lends itself to oration and partly because he’s wicked funny and may be your only chance to makeContinue reading