The Daily Poem

Explore James Merrill's transition from conventional poetry to the occult in 'The Octopus', delving into themes of attention, vision, and obsession. The parallels between attention and prayer are examined, along with the symbolism of the octopus as a representation of vision. Dive into the challenges of maintaining vigilant vision and the consequences of awakening one's attention.

Explores Hilaire Belloc's poetic defense of G.K. Chesterton through 'Lines to a Don', highlighting poetic diss tracks. Contrast between dismal dawn flaws and majestic dawns. Critiques dawn while praising Belloc. References Belloc's works and urges support for the podcast.

Explore Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poetic personifications of each month, from April's wild manifestations to May's gentle nature, depicting mythological attributes and seasonal symbolism that celebrate the beauty and essence of each passing time of the year.

Delve into Naomi Shihab Nye's powerful poem 'The Traveling Onion' and uncover the deeper meaning behind seemingly ordinary objects. Explore the significance of heritage, peace, and the beauty found in simple things through the lens of poetry.

Exploring themes of light and darkness, the podcast delves into Colley Cibber's 'The Blind Boy' poem, revealing unique perspectives on sight and contentment. It discusses the experience of a blind boy and how he constructs his reality through day and night, challenging traditional views on perception.

Exploring labor and power dynamics in Bertolt Brecht's poem 'A Worker Reads History', shedding light on unrecognized laborers, contrasting idealism with Marxist realities, and posing reflective questions about historical narratives.

Explore the origins and significance of 'The Road Goes Ever On' from Bilbo to Frodo in Tolkien's works, symbolizing growth and change. Join for more literary analyses on themes of travel and return.

Today’s poem is a piece of uncollected verse from one of the world’s most beloved children’s writers: Dr. Seuss.Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) was an American children's author and cartoonist. He is known for his work writing and illustrating more than 60 books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. His work includes many of the most popular children's books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death.-bio via Wikipedia This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s poem comes from one of America’s most beloved and decorated poets, Richard Wilbur. Don’t be put off by the title; no matter the subject, Wilbur’s poetry is always so marvelously companionable–desert island reading if ever there was. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

For the day that only comes ‘round once every four years, we have a haunting poem about missed connections–and from a poet with a “Leap Day” birthday, no less.Howard Nemerov was born on February 29, 1920, in New York, New York. Throughout World War II, he served as a pilot in the Royal Canadian unit of the U. S. Army Air Force. He married in 1944, and after the war, having earned the rank of first lieutenant, returned to New York with his wife to complete his first book.Nemerov was first hired to teach literature to World War II veterans at Hamilton College in New York. His teaching career flourished, and he went on to teach at Bennington College, Brandeis University, and Washington University in St. Louis, where he was Distinguished Poet in Residence from 1969 until his death.In addition to a dozen collections of poetry, he was also an accomplished prose writer with several collections of non-fiction essays to his name.-bio via Academy of American Poets This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe