PoemShape
6,067 FOLLOWERS
A New England Poet writes Poetry, Haiku, Fables & Criticism. A masterfully written metrical poem has two stories to tell two tales: one in its words; the other in its meter.
PoemShape
16h ago
So. There’s this poem by Emily Dickinson in which Freudian readers, among others, conclude that Emily Dickinson must be liminally or subliminally talking about [insert euphemism for penis here]. And I am here to say a couple things about that. First, to call Freud a psuedo-scientist would be too generous. Freud was a fraud. His ..read more
PoemShape
5d ago
I’ll be brief. If memory serves, Richard II and King Lear were the only two of Shakespeare’s Kings to willingly surrender their crown. Richard was forced to surrender his crown by Bolinkbroke. When Richard departed for Ireland, Bolingbroke, feeling slighted, took up arms against Richard. The populace was more fond of Bolingbroke than Richard, and ..read more
PoemShape
1w ago
“Emily Dickinson I did like very much and still do, but she is rather morbid and unnatural.” ~ Joseph Lyman Safe in their Alabaster Chambers is a fascinating poem not just because there are two versions, and not just because there are actually four versions, but because—a little?—somewhat?—the veil is pulled back and we get ..read more
PoemShape
1w ago
I posted a new reading of The Death of Davy McGahn. Some three hundred readers made it the most listened to. Seeing how popular these readings are, I may read the poetry from Opening Book over the next few weeks. The poem, Those Strains, seems to have been a hit this week. The poem Erlkonigin ..read more
PoemShape
1w ago
New writers are often given the advice, by worldly readers and writers, to “write what they know”. And so it came as a profound shock to those same worldly literati when they discovered that Munro really did write what she knew—the life of a woman willing to not only compromise but to decisively choose the ..read more
PoemShape
2w ago
In which Éhto warns the Sagelord Timbrel by the telling of a tale. “The King is old,” Éhto interrupted, peering at the horizon as though from the flickering clouds came realization. “Is he old, Lord Timbrel? I think he is. When I apprenticed at Sélif’s Runic Guild, I read histories of the Isles—of soldiers, sages ..read more
PoemShape
2w ago
I was busy writing and noticed that I’d never made a recording of my poem The Death of Davy McGahn. There are sure to be better readers of this, but for those who prefer to hear their poetry rather than read it, here’s me having a go at it (along with the opening stanza): By ..read more
PoemShape
3w ago
From the second book, WistThistle: Along the Way. Toa’Éhto, forcefully summoned by the King and the Sagelord Toléo Timbrel, recites this poem lamenting her captivity. Pity the flower, That to grace A dying hour Drinks from the vase; Pity us, ours, The severed stem That gives to the stars The flower’s ‘I am ..read more
PoemShape
3w ago
As anyone who knows anything about Dickinson can tell you, she was a recluse. Robert Frost remains one of my most beloved poets and I was just reading him after a couple years’ break (and whose life overlapped with Dickinson’s). And I was struck by the feeling of spaciousness in his poetry. After reading so ..read more
PoemShape
1M ago
I forgot to post this last Sunday, so here it is. My little poem “Beatified” was the most popular, as were Duni’s Songs and “I go to you”. WistThistle, the fantasy series from which Duni’s Songs are drawn, is just as good. In that regard, if you’re friendly with any literary agents looking to represent ..read more