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American Poetry


Feature Writer Articles in American Poetry

 		Masters' Kinsey Keene
Edgar Lee Master's "Kinsey Keene" offers a unique conundrum as it forces the reader to muse upon the two legendary claims regarding a famous quotation.
Whitman's Patroling Barnegat
Whitman's American sonnet demonstrates the power of the verb form known as the present participle, as his speaker dramatizes the activity of a severe storm at sea.
Masters' Judge Somers
A boasting judge reveals petty jealousy of the town drunk, whose burial arrangements seem to elevate the drunk's station above the erudite, accomplished legal scholar
Masters' Harry Carey Goodhue
Harry Carey Goodhue reveals his special grudge against the town of Spoon River and how he finally got his revenge.
Longfellow's Christmas Bells
"Christmas Bells" is a beautiful and very popular Longfellow poem that celebrates Christmas, chanting, "Of peace on earth / Good-will toward men."
Brininstool's Christmas Week in Sagebrush
"Christmas Week in Sagebrush" dramatizes the activities offered in the little town of Sagebrush as the cow pokes, families, and friends do some shopping and spending.
Masters' Constance and Chase
From their graves, Constance Hately and Chase Henry thumb their noses at the residents of Spoon River for all slights, real and imagined.
Michael Marks' A Soldier's Christmas
Michael Marks' "A Soldier's Christmas" echoes the form of the famous Christmas poem, "Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas," by Major Henry Livingston, Jr.
Al Gore's Untitled Poem
Gore joked to his publisher that W. B. Yeats had penned the poem in Gore's latest book; sadly, the publisher seemed to fall for it, before Gore admitted to scribbling it.
Serepta and Amanda
Serepta Mason and Amanda Barker represent two Spoon River characters with very specific complaints against individuals who affected their lives in deleterious ways.
Badger Clark's A Cowboy's Prayer
Clark's poem features four riming octets that deliver a ballad of nostalgia while celebrating and offering his gratitude to God for his way of life.
Masters' Cassius Hueffer
"Cassius Hueffer" from Master's Spoon River Anthology is an American sonnet, which reverses the Petrarchan octave and sestet to emphasize the pessimism of the speaker.
Hughes' Madam's Calling Cards
Alberta K. Johnson is a character in Langston Hughes' twelve-poem set called "Madam to You." In this poem, she has herself some name cards printed.
Masters' Robert Fulton Tanner
Robert Fulton Tanner reveals much about his character by comparing himself metaphorically to a rat in a trap
Barker's Thanksgiving Argument
Pop McIntyre and Smoky Hughes don't see eye to eye when it comes to giving thanks; Smoky presses his individualism a little further than Pop can abide.
Brooks' Gay Chaps at the Bar
Brooks' "Gay Chaps at the Bar" is an American sonnet, featuring the Petrarchan style octave consisting of two quatrains and sestet consisting of two tercets.
Ollie and Fletcher McGee
The third and fourth poems of Edgar Lee Master's Spoon River Anthology are companion pieces, spoken by a wife and a husband, commenting on the quality of their marriage.
Rich's Diving into the Wreck
The ten versagraphs of Adrienne Rich's "Diving into the Wreck" dramatize a reader's metaphorical journey to explore the nature of a non-existent catastrophe.
Masters' Hod Putt
The ne'er-do-well "Hod Putt" finds solace in the notion that finally in death he has achieved a measure of equality with a man who was actually successful in life.
Kooser's Tattoo
Former U. S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser offers one of his fascinating observations, as he allows his speaker to speculate on the character of an aging, tattooed biker-type.
Masters' The Hill
"The Hill" is the first poem in Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology, a series dramatizing the lives of deceased residents of the fictional town of Spoon River.
Dickinson's Two Butterflies went out at Noon
Emily Dickinson's gift of imagining supernaturally is on display in this fanciful piece that dramatizes the mystical flight of two butterflies.
Bryant's The Gladness of Nature
One of the most cheerful poems ever written, "The Gladness of Nature," paints smiles on the faces of fruit and flowers and allows the sunshine to chase away all gloom.
Frost's Acquainted with the Night
The speaker in Robert Frost's American sonnet reveals his rebellious nature, proclaiming his individual prerogative to venture into the city at night.
Richard Wilbur's Mind
Richard Wilbur's poem, "Mind," consists of three riming quatrains that compare the human mind to a bat flying through darkness in a cavern.
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Contributing Articles in American Poetry

 		Affrilachian Poets
African-American poet, playwright and visual artist, Frank X. Walker forged a place in history. He set out to correct the omission of black writers from regional events.
Tess Gallagher's "Choices"
Life is a compilation of interwoven complexities, creating a fabric of existence, and if one looks close enough value comes from conscious choices.
Charles Bukowski's Dreaming
20th century Los Angeles poet, Charles Bukowski wrote the poem, "dreaming," a assessment of isolation in modern society.
Charles Bukowski's My Fate
20th century American poet, Charles Bukowski, in his poem, "my fate," provides readers with his uniquely defiant and resilient perspective.
Suicidal Power in Anne Sexton's The Starry Night
In Anne Sexton's "The Starry Night," the speaker is drawn to the night as a source of power in which she can separate from herself and reach oblivion or rebirth.
Analysis of Anne Sexton's "The Starry Night"
Anne Sexton, inspired by Van Gogh's "The Starry Night," creates a multi-layered artistic creation in her poem "The Starry Night".
Analysis of Anne Sexton's "The Gold Key"
Sexton's "The Gold Key" metaphorically "unlocks" her fairytale poems, as if freeing them from wherever they have rested silently for so long.
Robert Frost and Nature
Robert Frost has a complex relationship with nature in his poetry. Several of the poems demonstrate the complex overtones of life and merit a deep reading.
Charles Bukowski's About the PEN Conference
20th century Los Angeles poet and novelist, Charles Bukowski, in his poem, "about the PEN conference," examines creativity and its source.
Charles Bukowski's Clean, Well-Lighted Place
Charles Bukowski, Los Angeles poet and novelist, broods on the life of Ernest Hemingway in the poem, "a clean, well-lighted place."
Charles Bukowski's Cancer
Los Angeles poet, Charles Bukowski, in his poem, "cancer," broods over mortality, assessing his own inevitable death.
Charles Bukowski's Secret Laughter
Los Angeles poet and novelist, Charles Bukowski, in his poem, "secret laughter," analyzes art, hidden beauty, mediocrity, and perspective.
Charles Bukowski's Oh, Yes
Charles Bukowski, pop-culture's archetypal drunk-poet, confronts the themes of isolation, regret, and death in his poem, "oh, yes."
Charles Bukowski's Millionaires
Charles Bukowski in his poem, "millionaires," examines the themes of class and dignity by contrasting the American elite with bright-eyed drunks on the street.
Charles Bukowski's Art
In an ostensibly simple poem, titled "art," iconocalastic, Los Angeles poet, Charles Bukowski, confronts two of poetry's recurring themes, creativity and death.
Charles Bukowski's Dark Night Poem
In "Dark Night Poem," Charles Bukowski, hard-drinking, Los Angeles poet, analyzes existence, meaning, and creativity, forcing readers to evaluate their own circumstances.
Raymond Carver's "Drinking While Driving"
Not everyone will find transcendence, but maybe after a few swills of bourbon they could find themselves lost and safe.
Carl Sandburg's I am the People, the Mob
History is humankind's greatest teacher, but its lessons are often forgotten.
Louis Zukofsky's "A"-9, Strophe 9
By rendering the specific meanings of "A"-9 ambiguous, Zukofsky uses verbal dichotomies to instigate sincere perception on the part of his readers.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a poem about a speaker's desire to be alone in the forest.
Warren's "San Francisco Night Windows"
On looking out into a darkened city one can see the depth and beauty of the modern world, and the cost of time lost often embodies time spent.
Understanding Walt Whitman's Poetry
Several themes run through the poetry of Walt Whitman, which are illuminated through the use of imagery.
Howard Nemerov's "The War in the Air"
The saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind", but even if something looks empty it may not be the case.
Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Study Guide
Robert Frost's short poem about the destruction of the earth reveals Frost's attitude through its symbolism and tone.
Robert Pinsky's "Ralegh's Prizes"
One moment can crystallize and frame the past and present in a wonderful amalgamation of relativity.
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