A Belief in Ghosts: Poetry and the Shared Imagination
An essay from poet Dorothea Lasky on poetry, ghosts, and the shared imagination.
MacArthur Genius Fellow Maggie Nelson Writes Poetry, Too. Here’s Some Of It.
She can pack a room with her prose, but Maggie Nelson's got a poet's ear.
The Drag Aesthetic of Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes' poetry was influenced by the drag scene in 1920s Harlem.
Put This Poem in Your Pocket
The Academy of American Poets has declared it Poem in Your Pocket Day. We’re not complaining; we’re suggesting you ...
Ossian, Rude Bard of the North
Ossian once rivaled Homer in the Western literary canon. Whatever happened to him?
Revisiting John Williams, Novelist and Editor
Today marks the publication of English Renaissance Poetry, an anthology of poems selected by the novelist John Williams.
Who Wrote the Book of Love?
Did the troubadours write the book of love, or just a kind of love poetry?
Poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning Was Both a Celebrity and a Superfan
As celebrity culture developed in nineteenth-century England, authors were at turns celebrated and celebrators of artists they admired.
The Artist Behind Shakespeare’s Most Famous Portrait
Though considered a limited artist, Martin Droeshout engraved the only portrait of Shakespeare, which appeared on the cover of the first folio.
It Turns Out Ordinary Life is Full of Poetry (Metaphorically Speaking)
The metaphor isn't just a literary device; it informs our conceptual understanding of language and the world.