As we begin the season of Advent, I thought it would be fitting to begin with some Advent-themed poems. The first is based on Luci Shaw’s “The Annunciatory Angel”, which itself is a response to Fra Angelico’s painting “The Annunciation”. Though inspired by Shaw’s poem, I have gone back to the original painting and writtenContinue reading “Uncertainty (After Luci Shaw’s “The Annunciatory Angel”)”
Category Archives: 12 Poets Project
12 Poets: Goodbye and Hello
Well, on this final day of November it’s time to say goodbye to Denise Levertov, the lovely Anglo-American poet that we have been exploring this month. In lieu of an essay on her work, here is a link to the last interview she gave which I think gives a better insight into her work thanContinue reading “12 Poets: Goodbye and Hello”
Guilt (After Denise Levertov’s “Adam’s Complaint”)
With November nearly over, it’s time for my final tribute to the poetry of Denise Levertov. This one is inspired by her simple but stark masterpiece, “Adam’s Complaint“, one of Levertov’s many creative entries into the inner workings of Biblical narratives. My poem looks at the same story from a slightly different angle. Guilt (AfterContinue reading “Guilt (After Denise Levertov’s “Adam’s Complaint”)”
Even So, Even So (After Denise Levertov’s “Suspended”)
When I first read Denise Levertov’s “Suspended”, it amazed me with the perfect way it blended the starkness of life with the delicate beauty of grace. You can read her poem here, in a wonderful post from CPX of their favourite religious poems, and here is my own response to Levertov. Even So, Even SoContinue reading “Even So, Even So (After Denise Levertov’s “Suspended”)”
Being (After Denise Levertov’s “Flickering Mind”)
Well, November is running away from us and so far I’ve only managed one poem for my 12 Poets Project this month. So it’s time for another one, this one inspired by Denise Levertov’s wondering “Flickering Mind”, one of the best poetic expressions I have read of the human mind’s struggle with religious devotion. YouContinue reading “Being (After Denise Levertov’s “Flickering Mind”)”
Voices in the Garden (After Denise Levertov’s “On a Theme by Thomas Merton”)
“Who told you that you were naked?” His voice Cuts through the trees and fig-leaves. Naked, you stand, glory shattered, Illusion broken, image disconnected, Heart unsure now how to beat. “Did you eat the fruit from the tree?” His voice Asks yet does not need to be told: Your lips stink to heavenContinue reading “Voices in the Garden (After Denise Levertov’s “On a Theme by Thomas Merton”)”
12 Poets #8: Denise Levertov
Well, the calendar year is coming to an end, and my year of writing about Christian poets is also well under way. We’re up to our eighth poet now, and this month we are going to be looking at American poet Denise Levertov, a Catholic poet and activist whose meditations on faith have been aContinue reading “12 Poets #8: Denise Levertov”
W.H. Auden: Undoing the Folded Lie
As October draws to a close, it’s time for an essay to draw together our month spent with W.H. Auden. He is a controversial figure in Christian poetry, and so this essay comes with a minor warning that it may not be to everyone’s reading taste. But he is, I think, still a rewarding poetContinue reading “W.H. Auden: Undoing the Folded Lie”
Audenesques
For my last Auden poem for the month, I have decided to fuse much of his poetry together in this homage to his work, great and humble alike. Along with the many famous, more memorable poems, Auden also wrote several poems which were kinds of collections of miniatures, poetic vignettes, sometimes sweet, sometimes stark andContinue reading “Audenesques”
Indecisive Spring (After W.H. Auden’s “Under Sirius”)
One of Auden’s more challenging but also most remarkable poems is “Under Sirius”, written as a response to medieval Latin poet Fortunatus who, by Auden’s account, longed for humanity to experience some sort of tragedy to shake them to their senses. Auden’s inspiration came from the time known as the “dog days”, associated with theContinue reading “Indecisive Spring (After W.H. Auden’s “Under Sirius”)”
The Consolations of Writing 