“New Year Poem” by Philip Larkin
"A poetry from which even people who distrust poetry, most people, can take comfort and delight." - X.J. Kennedy … Read More
“Desk Clerk” by R.S. Gwynn
R.S. (Sam) Gwynn did his undergraduate work at Davidson College. He earned an M.A. and an M.F.A. from the University of Arkansas and taught at Lamar University, where he was University Professor… Read More
“The Christmas Tree” by C. Day Lewis
C. Day Lewis , born in Ireland in 1904, was Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in May 1972. He published many volumes of poetry, as well as essays, critical studies,… Read More
“Office Party” by Phyllis McGinley
Phyllis McGinley was famous for her light verse and celebration of Suburban, middle class America. She published several books of poetry, including On the Contrary (1934), One More Manhattan (1937), Husbands Are… Read More
“Sentenced to Life” by Clive James
The Austrailian poet, critic, and broadcaster Clive James died on Sunday after a long battle with leukaemia. Diagnosed with the terminal illness in 2010, he wrote some of his most acclaimed… Read More
“One Day is there of the Series” by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson, one of the greatest and most distinctive America poets, was born in Amherst, Massachusetts and spent most of her life living there in isolation in her family home. Though… Read More
“Definition of ‘Fool'” by Marly Youmans
Marly Youmans is the author of fifteen books, including this year’s The Book of the Red King— a poetry collection from Phoenicia Publishing, in which “Definition of Fool” appears— and the forthcoming… Read More
“They Call Me Kaiju” and “Dark Matter” by Jesse Waters
Jesse Waters is currently Director of both the Bowers Writers House at Elizabethtown College and the West Chester University Poetry Center. His first collection of poems, Human Resources, was published by… Read More
“The Metamorphoses of a Vampire” by Charles Baudelaire (Trans. by Donald Justice)
Charles Baudelaire was one of the most influential of all French poets and is best known for his notorious collection Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil). He is sometimes called… Read More
“A Vampire in the Age of AIDS” by Frederick Seidel
"The most frightening American poet ever— phallus-man, hangman of political barbarism— Seidel is the poet the twentieth century deserved." - Calvin Bedient, The Boston Review… Read More
“Halloween” by Chad Abushanab
Chad Abushanab is the author of The Last Visit (Autumn House Press 2019), which won the Donald Justice Poetry Prize. He is a PhD candidate in Literature and Creative Writing at Texas… Read More
“Sometimes the Corner Is the Best Place to Be” by Philip Dykhouse
Philip Dykhouse is the author of the forthcoming chapbook Bury Me Here (Toho Publishing 2020). His work has appeared in Spiral Poetry, The Toho Journal, and The Moonstone Press. He was… Read More
“Deipnosophistae” by Jenna Le
Jenna Le is the author of A History of the Cetacean American Diaspora (Indolent Books, 2018), which won 2nd Place in the Elgin Awards. and Six Rivers (NYQ Books, 2011). She was… Read More
“Mill-Doors” by Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was one of America's most beloved poets during the first half of the twentieth century and was also known as biographer of Abraham Lincoln, children's author, folksinger, journalist, and editor.… Read More
“The River Stone” by Susan de Sola
Susan de Sola’s poems have appeared in many venues, such as the Hudson Review and PN Review, and in anthologies, including The Best American Poetry 2018. She is a winner of the… Read More
“Goldfish” by J.D. Smith
J.D. Smith's fourth collection of poetry, The Killing Tree, was published in 2016. His other books include the essay collection Dowsing and Science (2011) and the children's picture book The Best… Read More
“The Battle of COVFEFE Hill” by James Feichthaler
James Feichthaler's poetry has appeared in print and online journals in both the US and UK, many of his works being burned by The COVFEFE during the recent Area 51 raid. He… Read More
“Among Women” by Marie Ponsot
Marie Ponsot, who passed away yesterday at the age of 98, was the author of seven collections of poetry, including The Bird Catcher (Knopf, 1998), winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award… Read More
“Empire Builders” by Archibald MacLeish
Archibald MacLeish was an American poet, journalist, public servant, and professor. He attended Yale University and enlisted for action in World War I. MacLeish later attended Harvard Law School and practiced law… Read More
“Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo
The Library of Congress announced that poet and musician Joy Harjo will succeed Tracy K. Smith as the 23rd U.S. poet laureate. A member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Harjo is… Read More
“Hard-Shell Clams” by Marie Ponsot
"We read such poets because we want to know how a poetic intelligence inhabits the world—or invents it." — William Logan… Read More
Orson Welles Reads “Song of Myself VI” by Walt Whitman
In 1953, Orson Welles, the legendary American actor, director, writer, and producer, recorded Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself" for BBC radio. His performance was later released on LP. You can listen… Read More
“The Chain” by David Yezzi
David Yezzi is the keynote reader of this year's West Chester University Poetry Conference. He will be reading in Sykes Auditorium in West Chester on Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at 8… Read More
“piano after war” by Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks is one of the most beloved and acclaimed American poets of the 20th Century. She was the first black poet to win the Pulitzer Prize, which she received for her collection… Read More
“Marginalia” by Katherine Barrett Swett
A high school English teacher, Katherine Barrett Swett lives in New York City. She received a PhD in American Literature from Columbia University. Her chapbook, Twenty-one was published by Finishing Line… Read More
“Nanners” by Kevin Cutrer
Kevin Cutrer is the author of the chapbook Mudança (Dos Madres, 2019), in which this poem appears, and the full length collection Lord's Own Anointed (Dos Madres, 2015). His poems and reviews… Read More
“Platypus” by Les Murray
Les Murray, who died yesterday, was one of Australia's leading poets. He was the author of some thirty books of poetry, most recently Collected Poems (2018, Black Inc Publishing), On Bunyah… Read More
“The Examiners” by John Whitworth
John Whitworth, who passed away this weekend, is the author of ten books of poetry, most recently Joy in the Morning (Kelsay, 2016), and the editor of the anthology Making Love… Read More
“Dyeing the Easter Eggs” by A.E. Stallings
A.E. Stallings is the author of four books of poetry: Like, which is a 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Poetry; Archaic Smile, which won the Richard Wilbur Award; Hapax, which won… Read More
“Man on the Moon” by Stephen Edgar
Stephen Edgar is an Australian poet, editor, and indexer. He is the author of eleven books of poetry, including History of the Day (2009); The Red Sea: New & Selected Poems (2012);… Read More