There is a picture of me
Handcrafted and carefully sewn.
It lies some where only you can see
It makes you feel less alone.
There was a time right after we met
When I trusted you with my heart
But I lost that bet
Now I count my blessings that we are apart.
You spend all of your time
Wearing that suit
Bathing in quarters, nickels, and dimes
You don’t enjoy the bounty of your last pursuit.
Her dark hair and smooth slender thighs
Are as empty
As you and your lies
Glossy hair won’t make you happy.
When you look deep inside of her eyes
Straight through to her soul
Does what you see make you cry?
Or is that you, see nothing at all?
You have your girl.
You have you’re money.
But what you’ve lost is
But what you’ve lost is
There is a picture of me
Handcrafted and carefully sewn
Close you’re eyes and you will see
I guarantee it’s there.
So close your eyes and look at me
Close you eyes, can you see me?
Close you eyes.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Clementine is Missing
The face on the missing children’s poster was that of Clementine. The missing children’s poster showed Clementine looking sad and lonely. Clementine’s eyes pleaded with all those who looked at the missing children’s poster. Clementine’s rusty red hair was distorted on the missing children’s poster, so that it was more of a putrid shade of gray. The black and white of the missing children’s poster did not do Clementine justice; she was a beautiful child who simply radiated in life. But here on the missing children’s poster, Clementine just looked dull.
The missing children’s poster was hung on every street corner, so that Clementine’s face could see all who passes her. Clementines’ desperate pleads started to become unnoticed because her missing children’s poster hung around for days. As weeks passed Clementine’s became worn and translucent as the missing children’s poster got pelted with rain. As months began to pass Clementine on her poster slowly started to disappear as she was covered with the faces of other missing children.
The missing children’s poster was hung on every street corner, so that Clementine’s face could see all who passes her. Clementines’ desperate pleads started to become unnoticed because her missing children’s poster hung around for days. As weeks passed Clementine’s became worn and translucent as the missing children’s poster got pelted with rain. As months began to pass Clementine on her poster slowly started to disappear as she was covered with the faces of other missing children.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Frostbit
Each delicate petal
dotted with black tears,
stands beautifully unique
in the Californian hills.
“It’s a dry season”
the farmer said to his wife.
“The cold air is coming”
she responded.
Colors flood the hillside.
Virulent reds, oranges and browns
take siege over what was,
at one time a life.
Standing in the field
of baby blue eyes,
the annual flowers writhe
as frost blankets the ground.
dotted with black tears,
stands beautifully unique
in the Californian hills.
“It’s a dry season”
the farmer said to his wife.
“The cold air is coming”
she responded.
Colors flood the hillside.
Virulent reds, oranges and browns
take siege over what was,
at one time a life.
Standing in the field
of baby blue eyes,
the annual flowers writhe
as frost blankets the ground.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
AllPoetry
Anne Sexton
Born: 1928- 1974
Years Active: 1956- 1974
Genre: Confessionalism
Born: 1928- 1974
Years Active: 1956- 1974
Genre: Confessionalism
Biography
Anne Gray Harvey was born in Newton Massachusetts in 1928. Anne grew up in a middle class family is Weston, a suburb of Boston. Despite the comfortable economic situation, Anne childhood was not always pleasant. Her father was an alcoholic, and her mother a failed writer.
In 1948 she eloped with Alfred Muller Sexton, although she was engaged to be married to another man. Soon after wedding Anne gave birth to two daughters Linda and Joyce. Anne battled with bout of depression, and sought therapy after committing adultery while her husband was overseas in Korea.
After the birth of second daughter and the death of her grandmother, Anne found herself to be extremely depressed. She attempted suicide, and on a few occasions abused her children. Again, Anne began therapy sessions, where she was encouraged to write, as an outlet for her emotions.
She attended workshops where she met other poets (who included Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell) and this encouraged her to continue writing and publish poems. Anne published poetry collections, children’s books, and “self portrait”. She received many awards for her work including a Pulitzer Prize in poetry for Live or Die, in 1967.
As she grew older Anne’s depression worsened. On October 4, 1974, after completing her last collection of poems “The Awful Rowing Toward God”, Anne Sexton committed suicide by asphyxiation from carbon monoxide in her garage.
Works
To Bedlam and Part Way Back (1960)
All My Pretty Ones (1962)
Live or Die (1966)
Love Poems (1969)
Mercy Street (1969)
Transformations (1971)
The Book of Folly (1972)
The Book of Miguel Flores' Dad (1972)
The Death Notebooks (1974)
The Awful Rowing Toward God (1975; posthumous)
45 Mercy Street (1976; posthumous)
Words for Dr. Y. (1978; posthumous)
Selected Poems of Anne Sexton (1988, posthumous)
Children's books (all co-written with Maxine Kumin)
1963 Eggs of Things (illustrated by Leonard Shortall)
1964 More Eggs of Things (illustrated by Leonard Shortall)
1974 Joey and the Birthday Present (illustrated by Evaline Ness)
1975 The Wizard's Tears (illustrated by Evaline Ness)
Prose
Anne Sexton: A Self-Portrait in Letters (1977)
No Evil Star: Selected Essays, Interviews and Prose (1985)
Moods
Vivid: “…the color of a rose when it bleeds.” (Song for a Red Nightgown)
Bleak: “My under taker waits for me” (Hurry up Please It’s Time)
Personal: “I am delicate. You’ve been gone./ The losing has hurt me some” (Song for a Lady)
Anguished: “…I am unfit/ to know just who you are/ hung like a pig on exhibit.” (For God While Sleeping)
Morbid: “‘The baby turned to ice./ Someone put her in the refrigerator/ and she turned as hard as a Popsicle’” (The Death Baby)
Groups or Movements
Anne Sexton was a participant of the ‘confessionalists’ movement of poetry. Confessional poets write in a manor that tends to be honest and telling about personal situations, such as illness, death, sexuality and relationships. Confessional poetry surfaced in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Before this time period poems on such topics were not seen. Confessional poets strived to record deeply personal thoughts and emotional, while maintaining the integrity of the poem. Often their words were highly structured, which was surprising to readers given the innovative content.
The poetry of Anne Sexton is inarguably ‘confessional’. Sextons poems included topics such as abortion, drug addiction, and death. In Sextons All My Pretty Ones, she expresses grief and loss as a result of the death of her parents. The Death Notebooks and The Awful Rowing Toward God, her last published works, are a reflection on death, and the her own desire for her life to end.
Similar Artists, Followers, Influenced by
Influenced By:
Sexton met Robert Lowell in 1957 at a workshop that he was teaching. This workshop had a huge impact on the way Sexton wrote. Lowell taught about confessional poetry and the importance of its construction.
William De Witt Snodgrass was Sextons mentor. They met at the Antioch Writer's Conference in 1957. Anne related to Snodgrass’ poetry, and thusly encouraged her to write in a similar manor, that was honest about her relationships with her children. Snodgrass’ most influential poem on Sexton was Heart Needle.
Similar Artists
Sexton and Sylvia Plath became friends while attending the same workshop in 1957 taught by Robert Lowell. Both Plath and Sexton write poetry in confessional form. Both also focus intimately on death and the dying process in their writings. Also both Plath and Sexton seem to have similar experiences in regard to mental health which affected their writing.
Sexton’s poetry was also similar to one of her mentors, Robert Lowell. Both Sexton and Lowell are true confessional poets. Although Sexton and Lowell do not share similarities in some topic area (areas of abortion, menstruation, etc), they do share certain themes in their writing, including death, birth, and nature.
Follower:
Sexton does not have any proclaimed followers. Although confessional poetry is still written by many poets, few are willing to admit that Sextons psycho/ suicidal writings are their motivations for writing. Sexton is studied by both High school and College students in the United States and throughout the world.
Anne Gray Harvey was born in Newton Massachusetts in 1928. Anne grew up in a middle class family is Weston, a suburb of Boston. Despite the comfortable economic situation, Anne childhood was not always pleasant. Her father was an alcoholic, and her mother a failed writer.
In 1948 she eloped with Alfred Muller Sexton, although she was engaged to be married to another man. Soon after wedding Anne gave birth to two daughters Linda and Joyce. Anne battled with bout of depression, and sought therapy after committing adultery while her husband was overseas in Korea.
After the birth of second daughter and the death of her grandmother, Anne found herself to be extremely depressed. She attempted suicide, and on a few occasions abused her children. Again, Anne began therapy sessions, where she was encouraged to write, as an outlet for her emotions.
She attended workshops where she met other poets (who included Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell) and this encouraged her to continue writing and publish poems. Anne published poetry collections, children’s books, and “self portrait”. She received many awards for her work including a Pulitzer Prize in poetry for Live or Die, in 1967.
As she grew older Anne’s depression worsened. On October 4, 1974, after completing her last collection of poems “The Awful Rowing Toward God”, Anne Sexton committed suicide by asphyxiation from carbon monoxide in her garage.
Works
To Bedlam and Part Way Back (1960)
All My Pretty Ones (1962)
Live or Die (1966)
Love Poems (1969)
Mercy Street (1969)
Transformations (1971)
The Book of Folly (1972)
The Book of Miguel Flores' Dad (1972)
The Death Notebooks (1974)
The Awful Rowing Toward God (1975; posthumous)
45 Mercy Street (1976; posthumous)
Words for Dr. Y. (1978; posthumous)
Selected Poems of Anne Sexton (1988, posthumous)
Children's books (all co-written with Maxine Kumin)
1963 Eggs of Things (illustrated by Leonard Shortall)
1964 More Eggs of Things (illustrated by Leonard Shortall)
1974 Joey and the Birthday Present (illustrated by Evaline Ness)
1975 The Wizard's Tears (illustrated by Evaline Ness)
Prose
Anne Sexton: A Self-Portrait in Letters (1977)
No Evil Star: Selected Essays, Interviews and Prose (1985)
Moods
Vivid: “…the color of a rose when it bleeds.” (Song for a Red Nightgown)
Bleak: “My under taker waits for me” (Hurry up Please It’s Time)
Personal: “I am delicate. You’ve been gone./ The losing has hurt me some” (Song for a Lady)
Anguished: “…I am unfit/ to know just who you are/ hung like a pig on exhibit.” (For God While Sleeping)
Morbid: “‘The baby turned to ice./ Someone put her in the refrigerator/ and she turned as hard as a Popsicle’” (The Death Baby)
Groups or Movements
Anne Sexton was a participant of the ‘confessionalists’ movement of poetry. Confessional poets write in a manor that tends to be honest and telling about personal situations, such as illness, death, sexuality and relationships. Confessional poetry surfaced in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Before this time period poems on such topics were not seen. Confessional poets strived to record deeply personal thoughts and emotional, while maintaining the integrity of the poem. Often their words were highly structured, which was surprising to readers given the innovative content.
The poetry of Anne Sexton is inarguably ‘confessional’. Sextons poems included topics such as abortion, drug addiction, and death. In Sextons All My Pretty Ones, she expresses grief and loss as a result of the death of her parents. The Death Notebooks and The Awful Rowing Toward God, her last published works, are a reflection on death, and the her own desire for her life to end.
Similar Artists, Followers, Influenced by
Influenced By:
Sexton met Robert Lowell in 1957 at a workshop that he was teaching. This workshop had a huge impact on the way Sexton wrote. Lowell taught about confessional poetry and the importance of its construction.
William De Witt Snodgrass was Sextons mentor. They met at the Antioch Writer's Conference in 1957. Anne related to Snodgrass’ poetry, and thusly encouraged her to write in a similar manor, that was honest about her relationships with her children. Snodgrass’ most influential poem on Sexton was Heart Needle.
Similar Artists
Sexton and Sylvia Plath became friends while attending the same workshop in 1957 taught by Robert Lowell. Both Plath and Sexton write poetry in confessional form. Both also focus intimately on death and the dying process in their writings. Also both Plath and Sexton seem to have similar experiences in regard to mental health which affected their writing.
Sexton’s poetry was also similar to one of her mentors, Robert Lowell. Both Sexton and Lowell are true confessional poets. Although Sexton and Lowell do not share similarities in some topic area (areas of abortion, menstruation, etc), they do share certain themes in their writing, including death, birth, and nature.
Follower:
Sexton does not have any proclaimed followers. Although confessional poetry is still written by many poets, few are willing to admit that Sextons psycho/ suicidal writings are their motivations for writing. Sexton is studied by both High school and College students in the United States and throughout the world.
Kenneth Koch
Born: 1925- 2002
Years Active: 1950s- 2002
Genre: surrealism, satire, irony
Biography
Kenneth Koch was born in 1925 in Cincinnati, Ohio where he spent most of his youth. Kenneth began writing and reading poems from an early age. In 1946 at the age of 18, he served in the U.S. military during World War II. After completing his service Kenneth attended Harvard University and subsequently Colombia University.
While attending Harvard, Kenneth became affiliated with members of the “New York School”. The New York School was a group of artists who wanted to break free from the contemporary art of the time. Many of Kenneth’s ideals about poetry and art in general align with the major beliefs of those involved with the New York School.
Kenneth was married twice, first in 1954 to Janice Elwood, whom he had one daughter with, and following her death, he was married again in 1994 to Karen Culler. Kenneth was first published in the early 1950 and continued to write and be published up until his death in 2002 of leukemia. Kenneth published poetry collections, plays, and works of fiction. Kenneth received many awards for his work including Bollingen Prize for Poetry in 1995.
Works
Poems
Poems (1953)
Ko (1960)
Permanently (1961)
Thank You (1962)
When the Sun Tries to Go On (1969)
The Pleasures of Peace (1969)
Sleeping with Women (1969)
The Art of Love (1975)
The Duplications (1977)
The Burning Mystery of Anna in 1951 (1979)
From the Air (1979)
Days and Nights (1982)
On the Edge (1986)
Seasons on Earth (1987)
On the Great Atlantic Rainway: Selected Poems (1994)
One Train (1994)
Straits (1998)
Plays
Bertha and Other Plays (1966)
A Change of Hearts (1973)
The Red Robins (1979)
One Thousand Avant-Garde Plays (1988)
The Gold Standard (1996)
Fiction
Hotel Lambosa (1988)
The Red Robins (1975)
Moods
Surreal: “Create a great hole in the mattress and spring with/ you hatchet/ And then leap on her, covered with feathers and shiny/ metal springs” (The Art of Love)
Defiant: “One single piece of pink mint chewing gum contains more pleasures / Than the whole rude gallery of war!” (The Pleasure of Peace)
Comical: “If you do not have money, you must probably earn/ some/ But do it in a way that is pleasant and does/ not take too much time. Paint ridiculous pictures/ is one good way, and giving lectures about yourself in/ another.” (The Art of Love)
Honest: “We tell each other the names of writers in great secret/ secret but absolutely no one else cares so why keep it” (On Train)
Ironic: “The panda in the Beijing Zoo/ Is a minority nationality/ The panda in the American zoo/ Is overseas Chinese” (On Train)
Groups or Movements
Kenneth Koch was affiliated with the “New York School”, a group of artists (formed in the 1950s) whose arts often reflected surrealist ideas. In regards to poetry, the New York School was anti confessionalist, thus rejecting contemporary poetry of the time. Much of what was written by poets in the New York School was filled with surreal images, stream of consciousness, and messages that were impulsive as well as direct.
Koch’s poetry greatly reflects these values. Many of Koch’s poems are upbeat and humorous, especially The Art of Love (1975). In addition to being non confessional, much of Koch’s works include surreal images that challenge as well as engage the reader. Some of his most vivid surreal images can be found in When the Sun Tries to Go On (1969).
Similar Artists, Followers, Influenced by
Influenced By:
One poet that Koch was influenced by is Ezra Pound. Pound was a major figure in the ‘modernist’ movement in the early to mid 20th century. Koch is quoted as saying: “Artistically I was excited by Pound. In New Addresses I felt free to use tones and lines and phrases from other poets. For example, in the poem "To the Unknown", I have the line "Let me know in advance, and I will come down to meet you / As far as the open part in which you live."
Koch was also influenced by his friends Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery. Both O’Hara and Ashbery were members of the New York School with Koch, whom was quoted as saying “Some writers of my own generation have been very important to me. The ones I've been most moved by have been Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery”. Both O’Hara and Ashbery’s poetry is filled with surrealist images, which was a common thing among writers in the New York School. These artists and others shared ideas with Koch with heavily influenced his writing.
Similar Artists
In addition to being influenced by Frank O’Hara and John Ashbery, Koch’s work is similar in many regards to the work of both poets. Because they were all member of the New York School, they held to many of the same poetic values, and thusly their works are akin. All three poets use a great deal of surrealist images in their writings. Their poems also tend to include humor and witticisms.
Follower
Ron Padgett was a student of Koch’s while he studied creative writing at Wagner College. Padgett later became a poet and essayist of his own right. He was also a member of the New York School, and thusly embodied many of their principles in his writing. Like Koch, Padgett used surreal images in his writing, along with humor. Koch also encouraged Padgett to teaching poetry to children, which he did from 1969 until 1978.
Born: 1925- 2002
Years Active: 1950s- 2002
Genre: surrealism, satire, irony
Biography
Kenneth Koch was born in 1925 in Cincinnati, Ohio where he spent most of his youth. Kenneth began writing and reading poems from an early age. In 1946 at the age of 18, he served in the U.S. military during World War II. After completing his service Kenneth attended Harvard University and subsequently Colombia University.
While attending Harvard, Kenneth became affiliated with members of the “New York School”. The New York School was a group of artists who wanted to break free from the contemporary art of the time. Many of Kenneth’s ideals about poetry and art in general align with the major beliefs of those involved with the New York School.
Kenneth was married twice, first in 1954 to Janice Elwood, whom he had one daughter with, and following her death, he was married again in 1994 to Karen Culler. Kenneth was first published in the early 1950 and continued to write and be published up until his death in 2002 of leukemia. Kenneth published poetry collections, plays, and works of fiction. Kenneth received many awards for his work including Bollingen Prize for Poetry in 1995.
Works
Poems
Poems (1953)
Ko (1960)
Permanently (1961)
Thank You (1962)
When the Sun Tries to Go On (1969)
The Pleasures of Peace (1969)
Sleeping with Women (1969)
The Art of Love (1975)
The Duplications (1977)
The Burning Mystery of Anna in 1951 (1979)
From the Air (1979)
Days and Nights (1982)
On the Edge (1986)
Seasons on Earth (1987)
On the Great Atlantic Rainway: Selected Poems (1994)
One Train (1994)
Straits (1998)
Plays
Bertha and Other Plays (1966)
A Change of Hearts (1973)
The Red Robins (1979)
One Thousand Avant-Garde Plays (1988)
The Gold Standard (1996)
Fiction
Hotel Lambosa (1988)
The Red Robins (1975)
Moods
Surreal: “Create a great hole in the mattress and spring with/ you hatchet/ And then leap on her, covered with feathers and shiny/ metal springs” (The Art of Love)
Defiant: “One single piece of pink mint chewing gum contains more pleasures / Than the whole rude gallery of war!” (The Pleasure of Peace)
Comical: “If you do not have money, you must probably earn/ some/ But do it in a way that is pleasant and does/ not take too much time. Paint ridiculous pictures/ is one good way, and giving lectures about yourself in/ another.” (The Art of Love)
Honest: “We tell each other the names of writers in great secret/ secret but absolutely no one else cares so why keep it” (On Train)
Ironic: “The panda in the Beijing Zoo/ Is a minority nationality/ The panda in the American zoo/ Is overseas Chinese” (On Train)
Groups or Movements
Kenneth Koch was affiliated with the “New York School”, a group of artists (formed in the 1950s) whose arts often reflected surrealist ideas. In regards to poetry, the New York School was anti confessionalist, thus rejecting contemporary poetry of the time. Much of what was written by poets in the New York School was filled with surreal images, stream of consciousness, and messages that were impulsive as well as direct.
Koch’s poetry greatly reflects these values. Many of Koch’s poems are upbeat and humorous, especially The Art of Love (1975). In addition to being non confessional, much of Koch’s works include surreal images that challenge as well as engage the reader. Some of his most vivid surreal images can be found in When the Sun Tries to Go On (1969).
Similar Artists, Followers, Influenced by
Influenced By:
One poet that Koch was influenced by is Ezra Pound. Pound was a major figure in the ‘modernist’ movement in the early to mid 20th century. Koch is quoted as saying: “Artistically I was excited by Pound. In New Addresses I felt free to use tones and lines and phrases from other poets. For example, in the poem "To the Unknown", I have the line "Let me know in advance, and I will come down to meet you / As far as the open part in which you live."
Koch was also influenced by his friends Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery. Both O’Hara and Ashbery were members of the New York School with Koch, whom was quoted as saying “Some writers of my own generation have been very important to me. The ones I've been most moved by have been Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery”. Both O’Hara and Ashbery’s poetry is filled with surrealist images, which was a common thing among writers in the New York School. These artists and others shared ideas with Koch with heavily influenced his writing.
Similar Artists
In addition to being influenced by Frank O’Hara and John Ashbery, Koch’s work is similar in many regards to the work of both poets. Because they were all member of the New York School, they held to many of the same poetic values, and thusly their works are akin. All three poets use a great deal of surrealist images in their writings. Their poems also tend to include humor and witticisms.
Follower
Ron Padgett was a student of Koch’s while he studied creative writing at Wagner College. Padgett later became a poet and essayist of his own right. He was also a member of the New York School, and thusly embodied many of their principles in his writing. Like Koch, Padgett used surreal images in his writing, along with humor. Koch also encouraged Padgett to teaching poetry to children, which he did from 1969 until 1978.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
A Summer's Night on Cape Cod
Molly’s house became the tradition.
A place to see old friends and make new ones.
A jaunt to P-town, a day at the beach, a homemade “family” dinner.
Crisco is
A shortening product
often used for baking.
Drew is
a little on the pathological side,
but none the less, entertaining.
“Bitch, I got Crisco and a knife”
He said he was from Philly,
But that didn’t answer the question,
What is the Crisco for?
A place to see old friends and make new ones.
A jaunt to P-town, a day at the beach, a homemade “family” dinner.
Crisco is
A shortening product
often used for baking.
Drew is
a little on the pathological side,
but none the less, entertaining.
“Bitch, I got Crisco and a knife”
He said he was from Philly,
But that didn’t answer the question,
What is the Crisco for?
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