Approaching 5,000 deaths in New York, due to the COVID 19 Virus, got me thinking of Billy Joel’s classic song in a whole new way – Although I grew up
Category: Poetry
“Studying a Shoe” and Other Osher Summer Workshop Poems
The Osher Institute’s (at the University of Richmond) first summer Poetry Appreciation Workshops was attended by a small group of between 6 and 8 students, including some who had not
The Frozen Silence and a Crescent Moon: Synesthesia and Non-Standard Poetic Forms
This blog covers two of the most unusual aspects of poetry, i.e., the uses of Synesthesia and of non-standard poetic forms, Synesthesia refers to a technique adopted by writers to
“How to Be a Poet”- Revisiting Wendell Berry
I am bringing back a Poetry Workshop blog from April 9, 2016, on “How to Be a Poet by Wendell Berry. Here it is, mostly as it was originally posted
Imagining the Lyrical Poetry of John Lennon & Emily Dickinson
Traditionally, the term, ‘Lyrical’ referred to a composition of words that were meant to have a musical accompaniment. When we think about ‘Lyrical Poetry” now, it more broadly refers to
Poetry Workshop: Ambiguity – Tell the Truth But Tell It Slant
When Donald Trump asserted that he “didn’t see any reason that the Russians interfered with the U.S. Presidential election,” did he mean what he said or did he mean what
Poetry Workshop: Meeting Shakepeare’s Similes, Metaphors, and Ironies
One a recent TV Commercial, a happy-go-lucky pitchman compares buying insurance to selecting ice cream flavors: there is one for each need. Although his sale comparison method could be considered
Poetry Workshop: Personification in Daily Life, Poetry, Literature & Music
I am continuing my Summer Poetry Appreciation Workshops at the Osher Lifelong Learning Program on the University of Richmond ( VA) Campus. In each class, I spend about one hour
Advice From Walt Whitman & Lindsey Buckingham : A New Poetry Appreciation Workshop
I have begun teaching some Poetry Appreciation Workshops through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Richmond (Virginia), and I will be offering some notes and poems from
Rare Emily Dickinson Exhibit at the Morgan Museum
“Who has not found the heavens below will fail to find it above. God’s residence is next to mine. His furniture is love,” wrote America’s most enigmatic poet, Emily Dickinson.