Poetry excerpt

Excerpt Tuesday – The Spirit Says You are Nothing – Larry Levis

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Larry Levis (1946-1996) attributed a powerful and direct effect of the landscapes of his life, particularly of his childhood in the central valley of California, on his poetry. His poems had always evinced the landscapes of rural California for me, so it was interesting and gratifying to learn that about him and his creative process. Today’s excerpt is from his fantastic short poem, “The Spirit Says You are Nothing” – read the whole poem here. Drawing (pencil on newsprint), photograph, and composition by me.

Excerpt Tuesday – Harlem – Langston Hughes

 

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Today’s excerpt is from Langston Hughes’ eternal classic, “Harlem.” If you are like me, you *may* have mistakenly searched (more than once, I admit) for this poem under the title “Dream Deferred,” so iconic has the first line become in representing the civil rights movement and inequality. As recently as Aug 19th of this year, an editorialist in the New York Times used “Dream Deferred” in the title of his op-ed piece on the rioting in Ferguson, Mo. Read the whole poem here. Drawing (ink on paper) and composition by me.

XII of Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird

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Stanza XII of Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird by Wallace Stevens is the shortest one in the poem, at only nine words, but those are nine effectively used words! GIF and composition by me. Nearly there! But here’s where we’ve been:  I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI.  Read the whole poem here.

Excerpt Tuesday – more lines from “The World” by Henry Vaughan

Theworld_pIp1Last week I featured the opening lines of the “The World” by Henry Vaughan (1622-1695) and this week I’ve decided to keep going with the first stanza of this classic poem. Read the whole poem here. Photograph (of a snowdrift of petals from my first spring in Boston) and composition by me.

 

Excerpt Tuesday – The World by Henry Vaughan

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Today’s excerpt comes from Henry Vaughan’s beautiful poem “The World.” Read the whole poem here. A major Welsh poet whose popularity was revived in the last century – I learned of his poetry as a middle schooler because “The World” was featured in my favorite book at the time (and it is still one of my top 5) – A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L’Engle. Photograph by Ms. Dawn Wenrich – go check her photography out! Composition by me.  Enjoy!

IV of Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird

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Okay! It’s week 4 and stanza IV of 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird by Wallace Stevens (1879-1955).  You can read the whole poem here and see my illustrated stanzas I, II, and III. Original video (of afternoon sunlight through half-closed venetian blinds) by Emily Grossman, GIF and composition by me. Enjoy!

 

Excerpt Tuesday – Monet Refuses the Operation – Lisel Mueller

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Today’s excerpt is from “Monet Refuses the Operation” by Lisel Mueller (b. 1924) – read the whole poem here. Photograph and composition by me. Enjoy!

Illustrated Excerpt – II of Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird

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This is week two and stanza two of Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird by Wallace Stevens (1879-1955) – read the whole poem here and you can see my illustrated stanza one from last week here. Photographs and composition by me.

Excerpt Tuesday – The Spirit Says You are Nothing – by Larry Levis

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Today’s excerpt is from “The Spirit Says You are Nothing” by Larry Levis (1946-1996) – read the whole poem here. Drawing (pencil on newsprint), photograph, and composition by me.

Illustrated Excerpt – The Great Figure – by William Carlos Williams

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The Great Figure by Williams Carlos Williams inspired artist Charles Demuth to create his now famous abstract portrait The Figure 5 in Gold in 1928. It is still a poem that inspires today! Drawing by me, charcoal on paper.