Thank you. This rich essay will carry me through the entire month of April. I am especially drawn to Mary Oliver too. My grandmother was a poet and part of community writing gatherings in Pennsylvania . I’ll be digging up one of her books now🫶🏼
For reference, do you consider song lyrics poetry or does that fall under a different classification in your opinion? (Or does it depend?)
My line of thinking was this: poetry is more like a word puzzle because of self imposed limitations on meter rhyme form etc., compared to prose. So you could theoretically stream of conscious hammer out pages of prose without stopping, but poetry requires (at least for me) planning and piecing out words to fit. So sitting down to write a sonnet, you’re not likely to do that stream of conscious improv style. But then I got to thinking about old school rap battles and the most skilled could literally improvise lyrics with rhyme and meter, and then I got into a big argument with myself 🤣 where’s my coffee?
My apologies Chris, I somehow missed this comment when you wrote it. I agree, if I am writing poetry it is going to take some effort and planning. However, it seems to come quite naturally to some. I certainly think that certain lyrics fall into the poetry category and even though I am not a huge fan of rap, I have to acknowledge the skill of some of those artists.
Boomer here, using the Comments section for the April poetry read to make a recommendation.... I have a 20 plus year gap in reading current poetry, and I struggle with close reading of poetry, so last fall I elected to charge whatever poetry-reading gene I still have, and on the tip of a friend enrolled in the very popular 10 week free online Coursera course, UPenn's "Modern & Contemporary American Poetry (ModPo"). I did this because I was curious, and I wanted to fill in the gap.
So, beginning with the close reads of Dickinson-Whitman (again, I struggle with close reads), and proceeding through the "poetry schools" of ensuing decades, (including the ones identified in Matthew's essay above), by the time the class was wrapping up in weeks 9 and 10, I was reading contemporary poems by Jackson Mac Low, Lyn Heninian, Erica Baum, Charles Bernstein, John Ashbery, Rae Armantrout, among many others...all new to me......but no Mary Oliver.
......so, before I get to this April reading of Oliver and back to The Iliad and Ursula Le Guin, for Poetry Month, here's links to the curriculum of ModPo: https://www.coursera.org/learn/modpo and a YouTube video of Prof. Al Filreis and his TAs providing an overview: https://youtu.be/HsE6f0hbHwI?si=ZGo-QrXQ6WymYH3J ....it's collaborative, it's communal, it's all voluntary, and some people take the course repeatedly, since Prof Filreis continues to add content, has live weekly discussions from UPenn., and voluntary weekly Zoom "office hours" with the TAs.
This was an exquisite tribute to poetry and Mary Oliver. Your reflection on Felicity captured everything I love about her work—its simplicity, depth, and grace. A great way to kick off Poetry Month.
Thank you for this heartfelt intro to Mary. I have one of her books but haven't cracked it open more than once. I thought (perhaps wrongly) that it was too religious. But maybe it's spiritual? I've been enjoying Ursula Le Guins final collection of poems called So Far So Good, edited and published after her death.
Emily, I am not sure I would consider her religious. Her writing, especially the nature stuff, is very spiritual. I have a hard time with overly religious writing sometimes but her work appeals to me.
Love this, Matthew. You write concisely, but cover a lot of ground. You bring a sense of wonder to the reading of poetry. So often, the word “poetry” feels weighty and grim. It is taught so badly in most schools, or ignored altogether. Thank you for starting with Mary Oliver, especially “Felicity.” Looking forward to Poetry Month!
Thank you Mary. I agree that our school systems do a bad job with teach poetry and I think that is why so many people don't appreciate it. I struggled with it for years because I never had someone to help guide me. I am trying to fix that now!
This is such a lovely piece. I love this passage: "Poetry’s power lies in its ability to articulate what often feels beyond words—the unspeakable sorrows, the fleeting joys, the quiet moments of revelation. It reminds us that language, at its most artful, can be transformative." So well said!
What a stunning tribute to Mary Oliver and her work, Matthew. I always think her words could convert anyone into a poetry lover. You capture the essence of her poems and how they evolved so beautifully. Thank you.
This is one of the most reverent, wide-lens tributes to poetry I’ve read in a long time. You didn’t just celebrate National Poetry Month—you created a space of remembrance. A space for lineage. For sacred quiet.
Your transition into Felicity was so graceful. I loved this: “Her minimalism gives the poems an ethereal quality, allowing space for the reader to linger and reflect.” That’s the word—linger. You reminded me why we return to poetry in the first place. Not just for clarity, but for companionship.
This piece reads like it was written with deep stillness. Thank you, Matthew.
Thanks Anton. I haven't had the easiest relationship with poetry but it is growing on me. It required a shift in the way I read and think about the words. I am a very fast reader so I often read poetry aloud to force myself to slow down. Mary Oliver's words connected with me and I look forward to exploring more of her work. Glad you are here.
Thank you Tracy.
Thank you. This rich essay will carry me through the entire month of April. I am especially drawn to Mary Oliver too. My grandmother was a poet and part of community writing gatherings in Pennsylvania . I’ll be digging up one of her books now🫶🏼
For reference, do you consider song lyrics poetry or does that fall under a different classification in your opinion? (Or does it depend?)
My line of thinking was this: poetry is more like a word puzzle because of self imposed limitations on meter rhyme form etc., compared to prose. So you could theoretically stream of conscious hammer out pages of prose without stopping, but poetry requires (at least for me) planning and piecing out words to fit. So sitting down to write a sonnet, you’re not likely to do that stream of conscious improv style. But then I got to thinking about old school rap battles and the most skilled could literally improvise lyrics with rhyme and meter, and then I got into a big argument with myself 🤣 where’s my coffee?
My apologies Chris, I somehow missed this comment when you wrote it. I agree, if I am writing poetry it is going to take some effort and planning. However, it seems to come quite naturally to some. I certainly think that certain lyrics fall into the poetry category and even though I am not a huge fan of rap, I have to acknowledge the skill of some of those artists.
Boomer here, using the Comments section for the April poetry read to make a recommendation.... I have a 20 plus year gap in reading current poetry, and I struggle with close reading of poetry, so last fall I elected to charge whatever poetry-reading gene I still have, and on the tip of a friend enrolled in the very popular 10 week free online Coursera course, UPenn's "Modern & Contemporary American Poetry (ModPo"). I did this because I was curious, and I wanted to fill in the gap.
So, beginning with the close reads of Dickinson-Whitman (again, I struggle with close reads), and proceeding through the "poetry schools" of ensuing decades, (including the ones identified in Matthew's essay above), by the time the class was wrapping up in weeks 9 and 10, I was reading contemporary poems by Jackson Mac Low, Lyn Heninian, Erica Baum, Charles Bernstein, John Ashbery, Rae Armantrout, among many others...all new to me......but no Mary Oliver.
......so, before I get to this April reading of Oliver and back to The Iliad and Ursula Le Guin, for Poetry Month, here's links to the curriculum of ModPo: https://www.coursera.org/learn/modpo and a YouTube video of Prof. Al Filreis and his TAs providing an overview: https://youtu.be/HsE6f0hbHwI?si=ZGo-QrXQ6WymYH3J ....it's collaborative, it's communal, it's all voluntary, and some people take the course repeatedly, since Prof Filreis continues to add content, has live weekly discussions from UPenn., and voluntary weekly Zoom "office hours" with the TAs.
Steve, many thanks. I will definitely check out those courses. It is amazing how many resources are available to us these days.
This was an exquisite tribute to poetry and Mary Oliver. Your reflection on Felicity captured everything I love about her work—its simplicity, depth, and grace. A great way to kick off Poetry Month.
Thanks Jon.
Thank you for this heartfelt intro to Mary. I have one of her books but haven't cracked it open more than once. I thought (perhaps wrongly) that it was too religious. But maybe it's spiritual? I've been enjoying Ursula Le Guins final collection of poems called So Far So Good, edited and published after her death.
Emily, I am not sure I would consider her religious. Her writing, especially the nature stuff, is very spiritual. I have a hard time with overly religious writing sometimes but her work appeals to me.
Love this, Matthew. You write concisely, but cover a lot of ground. You bring a sense of wonder to the reading of poetry. So often, the word “poetry” feels weighty and grim. It is taught so badly in most schools, or ignored altogether. Thank you for starting with Mary Oliver, especially “Felicity.” Looking forward to Poetry Month!
Thank you Mary. I agree that our school systems do a bad job with teach poetry and I think that is why so many people don't appreciate it. I struggled with it for years because I never had someone to help guide me. I am trying to fix that now!
This is such a lovely piece. I love this passage: "Poetry’s power lies in its ability to articulate what often feels beyond words—the unspeakable sorrows, the fleeting joys, the quiet moments of revelation. It reminds us that language, at its most artful, can be transformative." So well said!
Thank you Andrea. I really enjoyed putting this together.
What a stunning tribute to Mary Oliver and her work, Matthew. I always think her words could convert anyone into a poetry lover. You capture the essence of her poems and how they evolved so beautifully. Thank you.
She makes enjoying poetry easy! Some poets it is a bit harder but I do love her work.
I adore Mary Oliver, bought most of her books and miss her living presence, even as she lives in her words and her humanity.
Thanks Mary, yes she is a wonder. I haven't read all of her work yet which is great because there is still so much to discover.
Matthew, thank you so much for this... what an absolute delight to read, dear Mary Oliver, what can I say... you pay her a very great homage 🙏🏼
Many thanks Susie.
This is one of the most reverent, wide-lens tributes to poetry I’ve read in a long time. You didn’t just celebrate National Poetry Month—you created a space of remembrance. A space for lineage. For sacred quiet.
Your transition into Felicity was so graceful. I loved this: “Her minimalism gives the poems an ethereal quality, allowing space for the reader to linger and reflect.” That’s the word—linger. You reminded me why we return to poetry in the first place. Not just for clarity, but for companionship.
This piece reads like it was written with deep stillness. Thank you, Matthew.
Thanks Anton. I haven't had the easiest relationship with poetry but it is growing on me. It required a shift in the way I read and think about the words. I am a very fast reader so I often read poetry aloud to force myself to slow down. Mary Oliver's words connected with me and I look forward to exploring more of her work. Glad you are here.