Thursday, April 3, 2008

National Poetry Month and the Nature of Argument

As part of the celebration known as National Poetry Month, I think it's time to let the poems speak for themselves. So here are a few of my favorite poets, in no particular order. Reading a poem or two by each of them should help combat the persistent rumor that poetry is dead. Or will it? Of course, not many people know who Bruce Wexler is, but if Martin Amis says it's dead, who can argue? Or, really, who would want to?



William Wordsworth


Louise Glück


Issa


Mary Oliver


Gerald Stern


Amy Lowell


Allen Ginsberg


Audre Lorde


e.e. cummings


Langston Hughes


Sharon Olds


Yehuda Amichai


Emily Dickinson


Walt Whitman


Han-shan


James Wright


Charles Baudelaire - in sidebar


Li Po


Anne Sexton


D. H. Lawrence


Franz Wright




Cover by Bob Zark


Since starting a Lilliput blog back in July 2007, samples of most issues from #100 through #150 have been posted, with the exception of some broadside issues it would be a disservice to excerpt. Beginning with this posting, we're going to step into the way back machine and begin posting poems from #99 (October 1998) down. Here's a couple of tiny gems from #99:




I'm getting old now
I think I'll marry
the rain
and settle down
Albert Huffstickler






poetry
the flowering morning
broken away.
John J. McDonald






An Imitation of Hsü Kan (171-218 A.D.)
4.
Since you, sir, went away,
my tiny trellis shakes with grief.
Red Chinese poppies you planted last fall
grow like tears --- immeasurable.
Linda Joan Zeiser






Before the ride ends she wants to go again
Patrick Sweeney




Have I ever mentioned how much I love the one line poem? Till next week,

Don

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

But I wanted abuse! ;)

Truly, a delightful sampler. Merci beaucoup.

LAV