A Poem for a Thursday #284
Rita Dove was born in Akron, Ohio in1952. She received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1987 and served as the United States Poet Laureate from 1993-1995. Dove has served on the board for several writer’s organizations, written a weekly column for The Washington Post, and been the poetry editor for The New York Times Magazine. Her work “cannot be confined to a specific era or school in contemporary literature; her wide-ranging topics and the precise poetic language with which she captures complex emotions defy easy categorization.”
Snow would be the easy way
way out—that softening
sky like a sigh of relief
at finally being allowed
to yield. No dice.
We stack twigs for burning
in glistening patches
but the rain won't give.
So we wait, breeding
mood, making music
of decline. We sit down
in the smell of the past
and rise in a light
that is already leaving.
We ache in secret
memorizing
a gloomy line
or two of German.
When spring comes
we promise to act
the fool. Pour,
rain! Sail, wind,
with your cargo of Zithers!
November for Beginners
Rita Dove
4 Comments
Claire (The Captive Reader)
Great poem. I vaguely know Dove’s name but don’t think I’ve ever read one of her poems before. I’m trying to read more poetry each year so will have to track down more by her!
jllee656
Her name was so familiar that I had to search my blog to make sure I hadn’t featured this poem already. Obviously, I hadn’t and I simply thought I had read a lot of her poems. I’ll have to remedy that.
Peggy
Wow, that really was a perfect poem for now. Thank you so much. I’m familiar with Dove haven’t read much of her work. Now I’m going to reread this and savor it and then look for more of her work. Thank you!
jllee656
I will be reading more of her poetry too.