First Loves: Poets Introduce the Essential Poems that Capitivated and Inspired ThemWhen Carmela Ciuraru asked her favorite poets to write about the poems that first inspired them, she was astonished by the illuminating responses she received. In turn, readers will be delighted by the intimate reflections on life and poetry found in First Loves.Affording close-up views of today's best poets, the book also (re)introduces readers to the timeless poems they selected. Sherman Alexie writes about recognizing the constant threat of violence on his reservation when he read Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz". It was a poem by her father that taught Virginia Hamilton Adair about the joys of poetry and the hidden life of her parent. J. D. McClatchy tells of first reading Homer by candlelight while eating a bowl of applesauce. Featuring many Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, the book includes essays by Seamus Heaney, Robert Pinsky, Jorie Graham, Yusef Komunyakaa, and many others.Just in time for National Poetry Month, First Loves is a testament to poetry's matchless abilityto restore faith, offer salvation and solidarity, and above all, alter the course of human life. |
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Page 90
What I remember is my mother singing to me : “ Daisy , Daisy , give me your answer do / I'm half crazy over the love of you . ” Or , “ Hello Patsy Fagan , you're the apple of my eye . " So I was the apple of her eye . A strange thing .
What I remember is my mother singing to me : “ Daisy , Daisy , give me your answer do / I'm half crazy over the love of you . ” Or , “ Hello Patsy Fagan , you're the apple of my eye . " So I was the apple of her eye . A strange thing .
Page 150
Swallow , my sister , O singing swallow , I know not how thou hast heart to sing . Hast thou the heart ? is it all past over ? Thy lord the summer is good to follow , And fair the feet of thy lover the spring : But what wilt thou say to ...
Swallow , my sister , O singing swallow , I know not how thou hast heart to sing . Hast thou the heart ? is it all past over ? Thy lord the summer is good to follow , And fair the feet of thy lover the spring : But what wilt thou say to ...
Page 198
II An aged man is but a paltry thing , A tattered coat upon a stick , unless Soul clap its hands and sing , and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress , Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own ...
II An aged man is but a paltry thing , A tattered coat upon a stick , unless Soul clap its hands and sing , and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress , Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own ...
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Contents
Acknowledgments | 11 |
Introduction by Carmela Ciuraru | 19 |
Virginia Hamilton Adair on Along the Road by Robert | 25 |
Copyright | |
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First Loves: Poets Introduce the Essential Poems That Captivated and ... Carmela Ciuraru Limited preview - 2001 |
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American beauty become beginning blood Blow body books of poetry born called child City close Collected coming Copyright course dark dead death deep desire dream early English eyes face fall father feel felt Galway green hand head hear heard heart Hilda Doolittle human imagination kind knew language later learned leaves light lines listen lives look meaning memorized mind moon mother move nature never night once Oscar Hammerstein II Perhaps permission poem poet poetry published reader remember Reprinted rhymes Robert round seemed sense singing sleep song soul sound stand Stevens teaches tell things thou thought touch trees turn University verse voice wind write written young