Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems

by Kevin Arnold
March 16, 2017
in Creative Writing, Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry, Shorts
tags Kevin Arnold, Kevin's Much-Loved Poems: "The Weary Blues" "The Blues Don't Change" and "Slow Drag Blues", Poetry

Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems: “The Weary Blues,” “The Blues Don’t Change,” and “Slow Drag Blues”

by Kevin Arnold
March 16, 2017
in Creative Writing, Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry, Shorts
tags Kevin Arnold, Kevin's Much-Loved Poems: "The Weary Blues" "The Blues Don't Change" and "Slow Drag Blues", Poetry

This continues the series of columns that highlights a much-loved poem and other poems that speak to, or resonate with, that poem. This week features “The Weary Blues,” crafted by Langston Hughes. The two related poems are “The Blues Don’t Change” by Al Young and “Slow Drag Blues” by Kevin Young. (While they share the same surname and were both Stegner Fellows, Al and Kevin are unrelated). The Poetry Foundation

by Kevin Arnold
March 4, 2017
in Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry
tags Andrew Marvell, Billy Collins, Invitation to the Opera, Kevin Arnold, Kevin's Much-Loved Poems--"Nostalgia" by Billy Collins, Nostalgia, The Sureness of Horses, To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

“Nostalgia,” “To His Coy Mistress,” and “Invitation to the Opera.”

by Kevin Arnold
March 4, 2017
in Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry
tags Andrew Marvell, Billy Collins, Invitation to the Opera, Kevin Arnold, Kevin's Much-Loved Poems--"Nostalgia" by Billy Collins, Nostalgia, The Sureness of Horses, To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell

This is part of a series of columns that feature a most-loved poem. Each of these poems is coupled with and a poem or two that speak to, or resonate with, the first poem. This week’s poem is “Nostalgia” by Billy Collins, written in 1991. The two other poems are “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell and my own “Invitation to the Opera.” Collins’ poem is my personal favorite. The complete Poetry Foundation

by Kevin Arnold
January 26, 2017
in Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry
tags "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night", "One Art", Dylan Thomas, Elizabeth Bishop, Kevin Arnold, Kevin Arnold's Most-Loved Poems, Poems, Poetry, villanelle

Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems: “One Art,” “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,” and “Driven by Love”

by Kevin Arnold
January 26, 2017
in Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry
tags "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night", "One Art", Dylan Thomas, Elizabeth Bishop, Kevin Arnold, Kevin Arnold's Most-Loved Poems, Poems, Poetry, villanelle

This column’s primary poem is “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop, written in 1975. Although the first line of this poem is “The art of losing isn’t hard to master;” the same way Steven Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” isn’t about clowns, this isn’t about losing things, certainly not keys. Both follow Emily Dickinson’s edict: “Tell the truth, but tell it slant.” Included are a couple of other poems that speak to, or resonate

by Kevin Arnold
September 1, 2016
in Creative Writing, Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry
tags Death Be Not Proud, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Holy Sonnet 10, Holy Sonnet X, John Donne, Kevin Arnold, Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems, Lament, The Sick Rose, William Blake

Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems: “Lament,” “Holy Sonnet 10,” and “The Sick Rose.”

by Kevin Arnold
September 1, 2016
in Creative Writing, Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry
tags Death Be Not Proud, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Holy Sonnet 10, Holy Sonnet X, John Donne, Kevin Arnold, Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems, Lament, The Sick Rose, William Blake

This continues the series of columns that highlight a much-loved poem and presents other poems that speak to, or resonate with, that poem. In this column I’m reacting to a nearby tragedy. A poet friend of mine has lost her husband in a bicycling accident, leaving her to finish raising two girls on her own. Because one poem confronts the absence of a spouse head-on, it quickly came to mind: “Lament”

by Kevin Arnold
August 4, 2016
in Creative Writing, Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry
tags Kevin Arnold, Mary Oliver, Mindfulness, Wang Wei, Wild Geese

Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems—“Wild Geese,” “Mindfulness,” and “October Dusk”

by Kevin Arnold
August 4, 2016
in Creative Writing, Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry
tags Kevin Arnold, Mary Oliver, Mindfulness, Wang Wei, Wild Geese

This continues a series of columns that feature a much-loved poem and poems that speak to, or resonate with, that poem. This week’s poem is “Wild Geese,” written by Mary Oliver. The second poem, “Mindfulness” by Wang Wei, fits well with the spiritual message of the Oliver poem. The third poem, “October Dusk” by Diane Mayr, resonates Mary’s poem in subject matter. The complete Poetry Foundation entry on Mary Oliver

by Kevin Arnold
June 16, 2016
in Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry
tags Kevin Arnold, Kevin's Most-Loved Poems, Kevin's Most-Loved Poems: "The Lanyard" by Billy Collins

Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems: “The Lanyard” by Billy Collins

by Kevin Arnold
June 16, 2016
in Kevin's Much-Loved Poems, Poetry
tags Kevin Arnold, Kevin's Most-Loved Poems, Kevin's Most-Loved Poems: "The Lanyard" by Billy Collins

I’d previously excluded “The Lanyard” from these columns because of its length–it’s considerably longer than most of the poems I’ve included. But I was recently asked to read at a birthday party from a thankful daughter, and, after searching widely, I found and read one of my already-most-loved poems. It was so well received I’m giving it a column all its own. Billy Collins, sometimes referred to as “The most popular poet in America,”

Category Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems

Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems: “The Weary Blues,” “The Blues Don’t Change,” and “Slow Drag Blues”

“Nostalgia,” “To His Coy Mistress,” and “Invitation to the Opera.”

Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems: “One Art,” “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,” and “Driven by Love”

Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems: “Lament,” “Holy Sonnet 10,” and “The Sick Rose.”

Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems—“Wild Geese,” “Mindfulness,” and “October Dusk”

Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems: “The Lanyard” by Billy Collins