Surrender
By Angelina Weld Grimké

We ask for peace. We, at the bound
O life, are weary of the round
In search of Truth. We know the quest
Is not for us, the vision blest
Is meant for other eyes. Uncrowned,
We go, with heads bowed to the ground,
And old hands, gnarled and hard and browned.
Let us forget the past unrest,—
      We ask for peace.

Our strainéd ears are deaf,—no sound
May reach them more; no sight may wound
Our worn-out eyes. We gave our best,
And, while we totter down the West,
Unto that last, that open mound,—
    We ask for peace.

About the Poem

Angelina Weld Grimké’s poem “Surrender” is a deeply evocative work that explores themes of love, longing, and emotional vulnerability. As a poet of the Harlem Renaissance, Grimké often infused her poetry with intense emotions, subtle sensuality, and themes of suppressed or forbidden desire. “Surrender” conveys a sense of deep yearning, as the speaker seems to express an intense, possibly unreciprocated, love. The act of surrendering suggests giving oneself completely to another, either emotionally or physically. Grimké’s work often hints at restrained or hidden desire, possibly influenced by her position as a Black woman and the social constraints of her time. “Surrender” could be read as an exploration of the tension between desire and societal expectations.

Grimké frequently uses natural imagery in her poetry to symbolize emotions. The poem may contain references to elements like wind, water, or the body’s physical responses, deepening the emotional intensity. The title itself, “Surrender,” suggests an act of yielding—perhaps to love, to passion, or to fate. The poem’s tone might oscillate between fear and exhilaration, reflecting the emotional risk of loving someone completely.

As a Harlem Renaissance writer, Grimké was one of the first Black female poets to explore themes of personal and romantic love in ways that subtly challenged societal norms. While her poetry was not overtly political, it carried deep undercurrents of resistance—whether against racial oppression or restrictive gender roles. Some interpretations suggest that Grimké’s works may hint at same-sex desire, adding another layer of meaning to “Surrender.”

About the Poet

Angelina Weld Grimké (1880–1958) was an African American poet, playwright, and journalist, best known for her contributions to the Harlem Renaissance and her exploration of themes related to race, gender, love, and oppression. Though she was not as widely recognized as some of her contemporaries, her work remains significant for its emotional depth and its role in early 20th-century Black literature.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Grimké came from a family deeply involved in abolitionist and civil rights causes. She was one of the first African American women to write a play centered on racial injustice. Her poetry, though often quiet and introspective, carried powerful messages about race, identity, and emotional longing. Her legacy has influenced later Black women writers, particularly those exploring themes of race, gender, and sexuality.

She was the daughter of Archibald Grimké, a prominent Black lawyer and activist, and Sarah Stanley Grimké, a white woman from a progressive family. Her great-aunts, Angelina Grimké Weld and Sarah Grimké, were well-known white abolitionists who had fought against slavery in the 19th century. Her parents’ interracial marriage was unconventional for the time, and her mother left the family when Angelina was very young, leading to a strained relationship with her father. Grimké attended the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics (later part of Wellesley College) and went on to teach English in Washington, D.C. She was one of the few Black women educators in the early 1900s and taught at Dunbar High School, a prestigious institution for African American students.

Grimké’s writing spanned poetry, drama, and journalism. She was associated with the Harlem Renaissance, though she wrote earlier than many of its key figures. Her poetry often explored themes of love, nature, racial injustice, and emotional longing. Some of her most famous poems include “The Black Finger,” “A Winter Twilight,” and “Surrender”—which deal with identity, desire, and the beauty of the natural world. Her poems often carried subtle undertones of suppressed emotions and possibly same-sex love, making her an early figure in LGBTQ+ literary history.

Grimké’s most famous work is the play Rachel (1916), one of the first plays written by an African American woman and produced by a Black theater company. Rachel was a response to the violent racism of the time, particularly the lynching epidemic. The play follows a young Black woman who, after witnessing racial injustice, vows never to bring children into such a cruel world. The play was commissioned by the NAACP as a form of social protest and is considered one of the first anti-lynching dramas.

Grimké never married and was a private person. Scholars have speculated that her poetry and personal letters suggest she may have had romantic feelings for women, making her an early, though understated, LGBTQ+ literary voice. Her work was largely forgotten after her death in 1958, but feminist and Black literary scholars rediscovered her in the late 20th century, recognizing her contributions to African American literature and activism.

Paul’s Tattoo
By Mark Doty

The flesh dreams toward permanence,

and so this red carp noses from the inked dusk
of a young man’s forearm as he tilts

the droning burren of his trade toward
the blank page of my dear one’s bicep

—a scene framed, from where I watch,
in an arched mirror, a niche of mercuried glass

the shape of those prosceniums in which still lifes
reside, in cool museum rooms: tulips and medlars,

oysters and snails and flies on permanently
perishing fruit: vanitas. All is vanitas,

for these two arms—one figured, one just beginning
to be traced with the outline of a heart—

are surrounded by a cabinet of curiosities,
the tattooist’s reflected shelves of skulls

—horses, pigs?—and photos of lobes and nipples
shocked into style. Trappings of evil

unlikely to convince: the shop’s called 666,
a casket and a pitbull occupy the vestibule,

but the coffin’s pink and the hell-hound licked
our faces clean as the latex this bearded boy donned

to prick the veil my lover’s skin presents
—rent, now, with a slightly comic heart

warmly ironic, lightly shaded, and crowned
as if to mean feeling’s queen or king of any day,

certainly this one, a quarter-hour suddenly galvanized
by a rippling electric trace firing adrenalin

and an odd sense of limit defied.
Not overcome, exactly; this artist’s

filled his shop with evidence of that.
To what else do these clean,

Dutch-white bones testify? But resistant,
still, skin grown less subject to change,

ruled by what is drawn there:
a freshly shadowed corazon now heron-dark,

and ringed by blue exultant bits of flame
—yods, the Tarot calls them, fire-tongues

of intensity, as if the self contained too much
to be held, and flung out droplets

of sweat or flame, the dear proud flesh
—stingingly warm—a steadier hand

has raised into art, or a wound, or both.
The work’s done, our design complete.

A bandage, to absorb whatever pigment
the newly writ might weep,

a hundred guilders, a handshake, back out
onto the street. Now all his life

he wears his heart beneath his sleeve.

About the Poem

Mark Doty’s poem Paul’s Tattoo explores themes of memory, loss, and the lasting imprint of love and experience. The poem describes a tattoo on Paul’s arm—an image of a green-blue fish, likely a koi or something similarly symbolic. This tattoo serves as both a personal emblem and a broader metaphor for resilience, beauty, and the way past experiences stay with us.

Doty often writes about queer identity, mortality, and the AIDS crisis, and Paul’s Tattoo fits within these larger themes. The tattoo, permanent and vibrant, contrasts with the fragility of life. It suggests a desire for something lasting amid impermanence, perhaps hinting at Paul’s own struggles or the inevitability of loss. The poem’s language is lush and evocative, characteristic of Doty’s style, and it uses imagery of water and movement to reinforce ideas of transformation and survival.

Ultimately, Paul’s Tattoo is a meditation on how people carry their histories—both physically and emotionally. The tattoo becomes a marker of identity, love, and remembrance, much like poetry itself.

About the Poet

Mark Doty is an American poet and memoirist known for his luminous, deeply personal writing that explores themes of beauty, loss, memory, and queer identity. Born in 1953, he has published numerous acclaimed poetry collections, including My Alexandria (1993),Atlantis (1995), and Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems (2008), which won the National Book Award. His work is often associated with elegy and reflection, particularly in response to the AIDS crisis, as seen in his moving poems about love and grief.

Doty is also a celebrated memoirist, with works like Heaven’s Coast (1996) and Dog Years (2007), in which he blends poetic language with deeply felt personal narratives. His writing is known for its lush imagery and precise attention to the physical world, often drawing on art, nature, and urban life.

A highly respected literary figure, Doty has received many awards, including the T.S. Eliot Prize, making him the first American to win the honor. He has also taught at various universities and is still an influential voice in contemporary poetry.

After the Threesome, They Both Take You Home
By Sue Hyon Bae

even though it’s so very late
and they have to report to their jobs
in a few hours, they both get in the car,
one driving, one shotgun, you in the back
like a child needing a drive to settle into sleep,
even though one could drive and the other
sleep, because they can’t sleep
without each other, they’d rather drive you
across the city rather than be apart for half an hour,
the office buildings lit pointlessly beautiful
for nobody except you to admire their reflections
in the water, the lovers too busy talking
about that colleague they don’t like,
tomorrow’s dinner plans, how once
they bought peaches on a road trip and ate and ate
until they could taste it in each other’s pores,
they get out of the car together to kiss you goodnight,
you who have perfected the ghost goodbye,
exiting gatherings noiselessly, leaving only
a dahlia-scented perfume, your ribcage
compressing to slide through doors ajar and untouched,
yesterday you were a flash of white in a pigeon’s blinking eye,
in the day few hours old you stand solid and full
of other people’s love for each other
spilling over, warm leftovers.

About the Poem

Sue Hyon Bae’s poem “After the Threesome, They Both Take You Home” is a poignant exploration of intimacy, vulnerability, and the complicated emotions that arise from unconventional romantic or sexual experiences. As you read this poem, I’d like you to read it two different ways. First read it all the way through like one long run on sentence. Then read each line separately, stopping after to each one considering the line itself as separate from the poem. By reading it in those two very different ways, I think you will come to a better understanding of the nuances of the poem and the small details that form its narrative and cadence.

The poem’s title sets the stage for a layered, nuanced narrative, framing the aftermath of a threesome in an evocative and emotionally charged way and is particularly significant. “They Both Take You Home” suggests a sense of care, perhaps even responsibility, from the other two individuals. Yet it also implies a sense of being passed along, as though the speaker lacks agency or is separate from the bond between the other two. This duality reflects the poem’s larger themes of connection and alienation. “After the Threesome, They Both Take You Home” is a deeply emotional poem that captures the vulnerability of human connection in unconventional contexts. Through its reflective tone and evocative imagery, the poem invites readers to contemplate the complexities of intimacy, longing, and the spaces between people. It is a piece that lingers in the mind, much like the emotional residue of the moment it describes.

Bae employs understated sensuality, avoiding overt descriptions of the threesome itself and instead focusing on the quieter, more emotionally charged moments after. The imagery often feels muted, almost dreamlike, as if the speaker is processing the experience from a distance. The poem lingers on small, mundane details that carry emotional weight—a touch, a glance, or the silence in the car. These details serve to ground the poem in realism while heightening its emotional resonance. The poem thrives in its ambiguity, leaving much unsaid. The relationships between the speaker and the other two participants are unclear, which mirrors the emotional confusion of the moment.

The poem juxtaposes closeness with distance. Although the threesome is an inherently intimate act, the aftermath reveals how that closeness can magnify feelings of isolation. The speaker seems caught between two people who are physically present but emotionally distant, creating a stark tension. It subtly addresses the shifting power dynamics in relationships. The two partners may appear united, perhaps in their understanding of each other, while the speaker feels like an outsider even within this intimate moment. This reflects the imbalance of connection among the trio. There’s an undercurrent of longing throughout the poem—not just for physical connection, but for emotional understanding. The speaker grapples with the bittersweet reality of fleeting intimacy and its inability to fully satisfy deeper desires. The speaker appears acutely aware of the fleeting nature of the moment, and the poem captures how such experiences, though brief, can leave an emotional resonance that lingers.

About the Poet

Sue Hyon Bae is a poet and translator raised in South Korea, Malaysia, and Texas. She is the author of the poetry collection Truce Country, published by Eyewear Publishing in 2019, and co-translator of Kim Hyesoon’s A Drink of Red Mirror (Action Books, 2019). Bae’s poetry often explores themes of identity, memory, and cultural displacement, reflecting her diverse upbringing and experiences across different countries. She continues to contribute to the literary field through her writing and translations, bridging cultural and linguistic gaps.

Bae earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Arizona State University (ASU) and is currently pursuing a PhD in Comparative Culture and Languages at ASU’s School of International Letters and Cultures.  During her time at ASU, she served as the International Poetry Editor for Hayden’s Ferry Review. Her work has appeared in publications such as Four Chambers Press, Minetta Review, Apple Valley Review, and Please Hold Magazine.  Additionally, her manuscript Truce Country was shortlisted for the 2017 Sexton Prize for Poetry. 

PLEASURE
By Rick Barot

You are told to believe in one paradise
and then there is the paradise you come to know.
The shoes lined up in pairs by the door
and the herd moving with its mysterious intent
across a dark plain. The blue of the sky
which is the zenith of all colors
and the love of the man in the next room,
strong and rough as a hog’s back.
My mind has a slow metabolism, it is slow
to understand what anything means,
but it understands that if you look at something
long enough, it will have something
to say to you. The sun that is strangely bright
on some days, a poisoned canary,
and the crop of winter rocks in a meadow
in April. Learning decades later
the name of the hospital where you were born
and watching the child eat a mango
as though it is time he is eating, time shining
on his lips. On fewer days I agree
with the poet’s dread of being
the wrong person in the right world, and believe
in adhesion, in never showing up
empty-handed, even if the pleasure I know best
is fused with the abject. There is always
the other side of the heart, its coaxing:
You are here. You can begin again. You can rise.

About the Poem

Rick Barot’s poem “PLEASURE” is a reflective exploration of the complex, temporary nature of joy and its interplay with memory, desire, and loss. The poem’s tone, imagery, and structure create a layered meditation on how pleasure functions in human experience—often fleeting, tinged with regret, and deeply tied to the past. “PLEASURE” subtly incorporates LGBTQ+ elements through its exploration of desire, intimacy, identity, and memory. While the poem does not explicitly label its speaker or relationships as LGBTQ+, Barot’s own identity as a gay poet often informs his work with themes and perspectives that resonate with queer experiences.

Barot presents pleasure as a temporary force, one that is often recognized only in hindsight. This echoes the human tendency to grasp the beauty of a moment only when it has passed. The poem suggests that pleasure is rarely pure; it often exists alongside pain or regret. This duality underscores the richness and complexity of human emotions. Barot juxtaposes the immediate sensation of pleasure with the act of remembering it, highlighting how time alters our understanding of joy. Desire in “PLEASURE” is complex, nuanced, and layered with emotional resonance. For LGBTQ+ individuals, desire often carries added layers of significance due to societal stigmas or personal struggles with self-acceptance. Barot’s portrayal of pleasure as fleeting and bittersweet reflects how queer relationships and desires can feel both liberating and precarious, particularly in contexts of marginalization. The poem’s treatment of desire may symbolize the intricate ways LGBTQ+ individuals navigate their identities and relationships, often balancing joy and vulnerability.

The poem often reflects on past experiences of pleasure and how they linger in memory. This recalls a shared LGBTQ+ cultural experience of longing, whether for lost love, fleeting moments of intimacy, or the lives and relationships lost to societal rejection or historical events like the AIDS crisis. Barot’s treatment of memory as both a source of pain and beauty can resonate deeply with LGBTQ+ individuals who grapple with their histories. This focus on memory underscores the importance of queer histories and the act of preserving personal and collective joy in the face of erasure or loss.

Barot’s imagery is vivid and sensuous, often grounded in concrete details that evoke a visceral reaction. He uses specific, tactile language to anchor abstract ideas in the tangible world. For example, descriptions of physical experiences—food, touch, or natural beauty—become metaphors for broader emotional truths. The poem’s diction is precise, yet it leaves space for ambiguity, inviting the reader to linger on the lines and uncover deeper meanings. Barot’s work often resists conventional ideas of identity, intimacy, and relationships, favoring a more fluid and open-ended exploration. “PLEASURE” similarly resists simple definitions of joy, instead presenting it as fleeting, multifaceted, and tied to deeper emotional truths. For gay men, this fluidity may mirror their own experiences of rejecting or redefining societal norms around relationships, gender, and identity. The poem’s openness reflects the diversity of queer experiences, celebrating individuality and complexity rather than conforming to rigid frameworks.

Pleasure, especially that of the LGBTQ+ community—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—has historically been policed or stigmatized. Barot’s meditation on pleasure as fleeting, beautiful, and tinged with melancholy resonates with how queer joy can feel both radical and fragile, particularly in a world that often marginalizes LGBTQ+ love and intimacy. The poem’s nuanced portrayal of pleasure invites LGBTQ+ readers to see their experiences of joy and desire as valid, even when they are complex or contradictory. “PLEASURE” carries a sense of wistfulness, as if the speaker is caught between the joy of past experiences and the pain of their transience. There’s a subtle mourning for moments that cannot be reclaimed, and yet a celebration of their existence. The poem seems to ask: How do we hold on to pleasure without being consumed by its loss?

Rick Barot’s “PLEASURE” is a poignant exploration of joy’s fleeting nature, filled with evocative language and deep emotional undercurrents. By examining the intersections of time, memory, and feeling, the poem invites readers to reflect on their own experiences of pleasure—how they shape us, linger within us, and ultimately remind us of our humanity. Barot’s ability to capture the ephemeral, bittersweet nature of pleasure speaks to the ways LGBTQ+ individuals navigate love, memory, and desire in a world that often denies them full expression. The poem becomes an affirmation of queer resilience, beauty, and the enduring power of joy, even when it is fleeting.

About the Poet

Born in the Philippines and raised in the United States, Rick Barot earned a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Barot is an acclaimed Filipino American poet known for his precise language, rich imagery, and meditative explorations of identity, memory, and the complexities of human experience. His work often combines lyrical introspection with sharp observations of the external world, weaving personal history with cultural and historical contexts.

He is the author of several celebrated poetry collections, including The Darker Fall (2002), which won the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry, Want (2008), Chord (2015), which received the UNT Rilke Prize and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and The Galleons (2020), a National Book Award longlist selection. He has also received numerous honors, including fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

In addition to his poetry, Barot is an esteemed educator and serves as the poetry editor for The New England Review. He is currently the director of the Rainier Writing Workshop, a low-residency MFA program at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.

Winter Night
By Amos Wilder

O magical the winter night! Illusory this stretch
Of unimaginable grays; so shadowy a sketch
Only the fading inks of spirit artistry can etch.

Here is nor dawn nor eventide nor any light we know,
This ghostly incandescence and unearthly afterglow,
This far-spread conflagration of the fields of snow

That pales the clouds, snow-laden, and blanches all the night,
As though in place of moon and stars some spectral satellite
Cast glamor on the earth and floods of violet light.

The wraith-like landscape glimmers, valley, lake and hill,
Unutterably patient! Intolerably still!
No inclination of a leaf nor songster’s trill.

. . . So could one stand an hour, a day, a century,
Breathless . . . What frozen silence! What immobility!
As of some gray unfinished world in age-long reverie.

O whither have you vanished, treading the leaves of fall,
Bright spirit of the summer, leaving the scene in thrall
To silence? To what springtime, far, far beyond recall?

What far retreat of being, what ebbing of the flood
Of life to bless far landscapes anew with leaf and bud
Has left prospect passionless and charmed this stricken wood?

. . . And yet from depths how distant, that tide of green shall rise,
And that bright spirit come again with April in her eyes,
And winter’s pale prostrations be but phantom memories.

About the Poem

Amos Niven Wilder’s poem “Winter Night” is a rich, contemplative work that explores themes of stillness, mystery, and spiritual reflection, set against the stark and serene backdrop of a winter evening. The poem is known for its vivid depiction of a winter night, characterized by silence, snow, and a sense of vastness. Wilder uses sensory imagery to immerse the reader in the scene—cold air, dim light, and the soft crunch of snow underfoot. This creates a sense of isolation but also serenity, as winter often brings an otherworldly stillness that encourages introspection. The winter landscape serves as both a physical setting and a metaphor for deeper themes. The snow and quiet symbolize purity, renewal, and a stripping away of distractions, creating a space for contemplation.

The quiet of the winter night invites the speaker—and by extension, the reader—to turn inward. The absence of noise emphasizes a spiritual stillness, offering a chance to pause and reflect on life, mortality, and eternity. The stillness may also suggest a kind of communion with the divine, as nature often serves as a conduit for spiritual experience in poetry. Wilder evokes a sense of mystery in the vastness and quiet of the winter scene. The infinite expanse of snow and sky points to something beyond human comprehension—a divine presence or the eternal unknown. Winter, in its starkness, often reminds us of life’s impermanence and the greater forces at work in the universe.

Winter can represent both hardship and resilience. The cold and darkness remind us of our vulnerability, yet the poem’s tone suggests that there is beauty and meaning to be found even in the harshest conditions. Snow often symbolizes purity and renewal, but also the covering or concealment of things beneath. Snow transforms the familiar into something otherworldly, encouraging a new perspective. Night represents mystery, introspection, and the unknown. The darkness of night contrasts with the brightness of the snow, suggesting the coexistence of clarity and obscurity in human understanding.

Amos Wilder, a theologian and poet, often infused his works with spiritual depth. In “Winter Night,” the interplay of natural imagery and introspection reflects a search for divine meaning in the physical world. The stillness and silence of the scene may symbolize a sacred space where God’s presence can be felt in the quiet of creation. “Winter Night” by Amos Wilder is a profound meditation on nature, spirituality, and the human condition. Through its vivid imagery and reflective tone, the poem invites readers to find beauty and meaning in the quiet moments of life, even in the starkness of winter. It reminds us that silence and stillness can open us to deeper truths about ourselves and the divine.

About the Poet

Amos Niven Wilder (1895–1993) was an American poet, scholar, theologian, and professor known for his contributions to literature, biblical studies, and theology. He is widely regarded for his ability to bridge the worlds of creative writing and academic theology, often exploring the interplay between faith, imagination, and the human experience. Wilder published several volumes of poetry, including Arachne (1928) and Grace Confounding (1972). His poetry reflects themes of nature, spirituality, and the human search for meaning.

Wilder was born on September 18, 1895, in Madison, Wisconsin, into a prominent and intellectual family. His father, Amos Parker Wilder, was a U.S. diplomat, and his younger brother, Thornton Wilder, became a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist (Our Town, The Bridge of San Luis Rey). He was educated at Yale University, where he developed an interest in literature and theology, and later pursued advanced studies at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Wilder served as an ambulance driver during World War I, an experience that profoundly shaped his worldview and writing. The horrors and disillusionment of war deeply influenced his poetry and theological reflections.

After completing his education, Wilder became a professor of New Testament studies and theology, teaching at institutions such as Andover Newton Theological School and Harvard Divinity School. He was a pioneer in the field of biblical literary criticism, which involves studying the Bible as a work of literature, focusing on its poetic forms, narrative structures, and symbolic imagery. He wrote critical works such as Theopoetic: Theology and the Religious Imagination (1976), which explores the relationship between theology and the arts, emphasizing the role of imagination in understanding religious truths. Wilder’s theology emphasized the intersection of faith, creativity, and the human imagination. He argued that religious understanding is not only a matter of doctrine but also of aesthetic experience and poetic insight.

Amos Wilder is remembered as a deeply thoughtful and innovative thinker who bridged disciplines and challenged traditional boundaries between theology and literature. His contributions continue to inspire theologians, poets, and scholars. Wilder’s life and work exemplify a commitment to exploring the deeper questions of existence through both intellectual rigor and creative expression.

Our Real Work
By Wendell Berry

It may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,
and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have come to our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.
The impeded stream is the one that sings.

About the Poem

Last night, I asked my friend Casey what his favorite poem is, and he sent me this poem. I was not overly familiar with Wendell Berry, but I thought this poem was just so beautiful. Casey said, “Wendell Berry holds a special place in my heart, because he is an agrarian and his vision of agriculture as taking care of God’s land is beautiful.” The beauty of nature and the belief that God created something as beautiful as the Earth we live on, is truly a wonder in itself.

Berry’s poem “Our Real Work” reflects his deep philosophical and ecological concerns, as well as his belief in the power of humility, intuition, and a deeper connection with life and nature. The poem suggests that uncertainty is not a sign of failure or inadequacy but rather a threshold to deeper meaning and purpose. When we are lost or confused, we may be closer to discovering our true selves and the work we are meant to do. This counters a cultural obsession with certainty, productivity, and control.

Berry contrasts superficial busyness with “our real work” and “our real journey.” These phrases imply a calling beyond societal expectations or material goals. It is only when we lose the sense of direction imposed by external forces that we can connect with something more authentic and profound. The line “The impeded stream is the one that sings” encapsulates the idea that resistance or difficulty can produce beauty, depth, and creativity. Without challenges, life and the mind become stagnant. Struggle is essential to growth, much like obstacles in a stream create its melody. The poem’s emphasis on bafflement and challenge suggests that meaningful engagement requires more than logical thinking. Berry calls for a holistic approach, engaging intuition, creativity, and openness to mystery.

As a farmer and environmentalist, Berry often draws from natural imagery to express his ideas. The stream becomes a metaphor for the human condition, with its impediments giving rise to its “song”—a symbol of life’s beauty and richness born of struggle. “Our Real Work” encourages readers to embrace uncertainty, trust in the process of struggle, and find fulfillment not in achieving clear outcomes but in engaging with life authentically. It suggests that by letting go of the need for control, we can align with a deeper, more intuitive sense of purpose.

About the Poet

Wendell Berry is an acclaimed American poet, essayist, novelist, environmental activist, and farmer. Berry was born on August 5, 1934, in Henry County, Kentucky. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from the University of Kentucky. As a poet, he is celebrated for his eloquent and thoughtful exploration of themes like community, nature, sustainability, and the human connection to the land. He has been a prominent voice in contemporary literature, offering insights into both the beauty and fragility of life, while advocating for ecological responsibility and local living.

After some time teaching and writing in various locations, Berry returned to Kentucky in the mid-1960s, settling on a farm in Port Royal. This return to the land became central to his life and work. Berry is a fierce advocate for sustainable agriculture, criticizing industrial farming practices and highlighting the importance of caring for the earth. His writings celebrate the values of rural living and interconnected, self-sustaining communities. Berry often critiques consumerism, technological dependence, and the alienation of individuals from nature and one another. As a devout Christian, Berry’s work often explores moral and spiritual questions, urging readers to live responsibly and ethically, and as a farmer himself, he writes with intimate knowledge of the joys and challenges of working with the earth.

Wendell Berry remains a significant and influential figure in literature and environmental thought. His work speaks to the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world, offering a powerful critique of industrialized modern life while providing a vision of harmony, responsibility, and hope.

The Old Year
By John Clare

The Old Year’s gone away
To nothingness and night:
We cannot find him all the day
Nor hear him in the night:
He left no footstep, mark or place
In either shade or sun:
The last year he’d a neighbour’s face,
In this he’s known by none.

All nothing everywhere:
Mists we on mornings see
Have more of substance when they’re here
And more of form than he.
He was a friend by every fire,
In every cot and hall—
A guest to every heart’s desire,
And now he’s nought at all.

Old papers thrown away,
Old garments cast aside,
The talk of yesterday,
Are things identified;
But time once torn away
No voices can recall:
The eve of New Year’s Day
Left the Old Year lost to all.

About the Poem

John Clare’s poem “The Old Year” reflects on the passage of time, focusing on the transition from one year to the next. The poem is deeply rooted in Clare’s characteristic sensitivity to nature, change, and human experience. The poem treats the “old year” as a living entity, personifying it as something that has completed its journey and now fades into the past. Clare mourns the passing of the old year, imbuing it with a sense of nostalgia and melancholy. The tone suggests a recognition of time’s relentless progression, an idea that resonates universally.

Clare often uses imagery from the natural world to express emotions, and this poem is no exception. The changing of the year is depicted through seasonal transitions, emphasizing the cycles of nature as a parallel to human life and time. For example, the closing of the year might evoke images of winter or decay, symbolizing an end but also hinting at renewal.

The poem captures the duality of endings and beginnings. While the old year is mourned, there is an implicit acknowledgment that a new year is dawning, bringing fresh opportunities and challenges. Clare’s reflection on the passing year invites readers to consider their own experiences, losses, and hopes for the future. The poem is wistful and contemplative, blending sadness for what is gone with a quiet acceptance of change. This emotional depth makes the poem relatable, as it mirrors the universal human tendency to reflect on time, achievements, and missed opportunities.

Clare’s “The Old Year” serves as a meditation on impermanence, inviting readers to pause and consider the flow of life and the inevitable passage of time. It is both personal and universal, making it a poignant reflection on the human condition.

About the Poet

John Clare (1793–1864) was an English poet known for his vivid depictions of rural life and nature, as well as his poignant explorations of human emotion and identity. Sometimes called the “peasant poet,” Clare’s work is remarkable for its deep empathy for the natural world and its ability to capture the details of everyday life with precision and beauty. Despite his humble background and later struggles with mental health, Clare’s poetry continues to be celebrated for its authenticity, lyricism, and insight.

Clare was born in Helpston, Northamptonshire, to a poor agricultural family. He had minimal formal education and worked as a farm laborer from a young age, which deeply influenced his poetry. His love of nature began in childhood, where he spent time exploring the countryside around his home. Clare’s first collection of poetry, Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery (1820), brought him initial fame and recognition. His ability to capture the details of rural life resonated with readers and critics, earning him the nickname “Northamptonshire Peasant Poet.” Subsequent collections, such as The Village Minstrel (1821), continued to showcase his deep connection to nature and his gift for descriptive writing.

Clare wrote extensively about the English countryside, celebrating its beauty while lamenting its destruction due to industrialization and enclosure laws. He depicted the daily lives of villagers and farmers with both realism and affection. Later in life, Clare’s poetry often explored themes of alienation, identity, and loss, reflecting his personal struggles.

Clare experienced mental health challenges later in life, exacerbated by financial difficulties and a sense of disconnection from the changing world around him. He spent his final years in an asylum, where he continued to write poetry, including some of his most haunting and introspective work. Poems like “I Am” reflect his feelings of isolation and yearning for peace.

Clare was largely forgotten after his death in 1864 but was rediscovered in the 20th century as a major Romantic poet. Today, he is celebrated for his unique voice, keen observational skills, and the authenticity of his work. His poems remain a vital part of English literature, offering a timeless appreciation for the natural world and the complexities of the human spirit. John Clare’s life and work stand as a testament to the enduring power of poetry to capture the beauty of the world and the struggles of the human heart.

Christmas Light
By May Sarton

When everyone had gone
I sat in the library
With the small silent tree,
She and I alone.
How softly she shone!

And for the first time then
For the first time this year,
I felt reborn again,
I knew love’s presence near.

Love distant, love detached
And strangely without weight,
Was with me in the night
When everyone had gone
And the garland of pure light
Stayed on, stayed on.

About the Poem

May Sarton’s poem “Christmas Light” reflects on the quiet, introspective beauty of Christmas, focusing on themes of renewal, solitude, and connection. The poem captures a serene, contemplative moment during the Christmas season. Sarton emphasizes stillness and light, creating an atmosphere of peace and introspection. The “light” in the title symbolizes hope, warmth, and spiritual illumination, often tied to the Christmas season.

Sarton often wrote about the complexities of solitude, and this poem is no exception. She portrays solitude not as loneliness but as a space for reflection, renewal, and connection with the divine or the self. Christmas, typically a time of communal celebration, is reimagined here as an opportunity for personal insight and inner peace. The poem explores the idea of Christmas as a moment to pause and take stock of life. The light symbolizes a guiding force or clarity that emerges in this reflective time, offering a sense of renewal and hope for the future.

While the poem emphasizes solitude, it also subtly evokes the interconnectedness of human experience. The light of Christmas is a universal symbol that transcends individual experience, linking the solitary reflection to a shared sense of wonder and meaning. Sarton’s “Christmas Light” ultimately invites readers to find meaning in simplicity and stillness, encouraging them to embrace the quiet moments of the season as opportunities for growth and understanding. It’s a gentle reminder of the spiritual and emotional renewal that Christmas offers.

About the Poet

May Sarton (1912–1995) was an acclaimed American poet, novelist, and memoirist known for her deeply introspective and lyrical works. Sarton was born in Wondelgem, Belgium, but her family fled to the United States during World War I. Her father, George Sarton, was a pioneering historian of science, and her mother, Mabel Elwes Sarton, was an artist.

Sarton began as a poet, publishing her first collection, Encounter in April, in 1937. Over her lifetime, she published over 50 works, including poetry collections, novels, and memoirs. Much of Sarton’s writing celebrates the creative and restorative aspects of solitude, though she also explores its challenges, particularly in later years.

Her works reflect her identity as a lesbian and explore the complexities of romantic and platonic relationships. Sarton was deeply attuned to nature, which often served as inspiration for her poetry and prose. Her later works, particularly her memoirs, provide an unflinching exploration of aging, illness, and mortality.

Sarton was open about her identity as a lesbian at a time when it was not widely accepted. She never settled into a long-term partnership but had meaningful relationships that influenced her work. She spent much of her later life in York, Maine, living alone and finding inspiration in her surroundings. 

May Sarton is remembered for her emotional honesty, lyrical style, and ability to capture the nuances of inner life. Her works continue to resonate with readers who seek insight into creativity, self-discovery, and the beauty of ordinary life.

Mistletoe
By Walter de la Mare

Sitting under the mistletoe
(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),
One last candle burning low,
All the sleepy dancers gone,
Just one candle burning on,
Shadows lurking everywhere:

Some one came, and kissed me there.
Tired I was; my head would go
Nodding under the mistletoe
(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),
No footsteps came, no voice, but only,
Just as I sat there, sleepy, lonely,
Stooped in the still and shadowy air
Lips unseen—and kissed me there.

About This Poem

Walter de la Mare’s poem “Mistletoe” is a beautifully atmospheric work that combines themes of nature, mystery, and enchantment. “Mistletoe” evokes a sense of quiet wonder as it explores the magical, dreamlike quality of a wintry night. The poem intertwines elements of the natural world, the spiritual, and the fantastical. The central theme revolves around transformation and the mystical interplay between the visible and invisible worlds.

De la Mare excels in creating vivid and haunting imagery. The titular mistletoe, often associated with folklore, magic, and romance, becomes a symbol of mystery and enchantment. The poem’s setting—likely a winter night—heightens its mystical atmosphere. De la Mare uses sensory details to envelop the reader in a dreamlike world, where reality and imagination blur. For example, the quietness and coldness of the environment emphasize solitude and stillness, drawing the reader into a reflective, almost meditative state.

While the poem seems simple on the surface, it carries a profound exploration of the human response to nature’s beauty and the unknown. The mistletoe, often suspended in air and shadow, can be seen as a metaphor for fleeting moments of magic or insight that hover just beyond our grasp. In essence, Mistletoe invites readers to reflect on the wonder of life and the thin veil between the mundane and the magical, suggesting that there’s always more to the world than what meets the eye.

About the Poet

Walter de la Mare (1873–1956) was a renowned English poet, short story writer, and novelist, best known for his imaginative and often haunting works that explore themes of childhood, dreams, mystery, and the supernatural. His lyrical style and evocative imagery have made him one of the most distinctive voices in 20th-century English literature.

He was born on April 25, 1873, in Charlton, Kent, England. He was the son of a civil servant and spent his early years surrounded by books, fostering a love for literature and storytelling. Before becoming a full-time writer, de la Mare worked as a clerk at the Anglo-American Oil Company, a job he held for nearly two decades. During this time, he wrote prolifically, often under the pseudonym “Walter Ramal.”

His first major collection, Songs of Childhood (1902), brought him recognition, but he gained wider fame with The Listeners (1912), which contains his iconic poem of the same name. De la Mare’s literary career spanned over five decades, during which he wrote numerous poems, novels, short stories, and children’s books. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 1953 and passed away on June 22, 1956, at the age of 83.

De la Mare often explored the imaginative and perceptive world of children, celebrating their sense of wonder and connection to the mysterious. Many of his works are infused with an eerie, dreamlike quality, blending the real and the fantastical. His poems frequently celebrate the beauty and mystery of the natural world, often imbuing it with spiritual or mystical significance. Known for his musicality, de la Mare’s work is characterized by its rhythm, alliteration, and vivid imagery.

Walter de la Mare’s works continue to be appreciated for their ability to capture the magic and mystery of human experience. His poetry and stories often transcend age, appealing to both adults and children alike. His unique voice, blending simplicity with profound insight, secures his place as one of the most enduring writers in English literature.