Suzie has published her second Valentine poem of the week, a lovely and human piece by W. H. Auden, called “Lullaby.” The deal this year is that we are posting requests, but I will tell you up front that this one was requested by nobody but me. It’s one of my favorite poems of all time, and certainly my favorite villanelle. We talked about this French form recently here when I discussed three villanelle examples that the library workshop used. You may see at least some of the fruits of our efforts in an upcoming post.
But I chose “One Art” today for other reasons. An old friendship has re-ignited from more than twenty years ago, from my first college days in the flatlands of Indiana. You can find some truly excellent advice on editing over at Joel’s blog, the Green Caret. Our favorite former English professor inspired his use of a green editing pen, and she just happened to be the first person I ever heard read the poem “One Art,” by Elizabeth Bishop.The piece was written for Bishop’s long time partner Lota Soares. It is not a happy love poem, and so perhaps not the best choice for a Valentine card, but love poems don’t have to have happy endings. Loss is a part of the experience of love, as so many songs and poems prove.
And so while Joel did not request this, he did inspire it, so that’s close enough. I have another E. E. Cummings poem coming up this week that one of you suggested, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, what love poem do you wish you had written? Let me know in the comments.
This reading was one of the ones testing out my new microphone, and it will probably be rerecorded later because it is just crying out for a short video I think. The last recording I did of this piece was probably in 2010. You can find the entire text of the poem on the Poetry Foundation website here.
David J. Bauman 
I really like to poem “One Art.” Thanks for posting it. Did you see my recent post about the poem written by a Bucknell student called “For The Person Who Broke In To My Car.?”
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No! But I will go check it out. Sounds pretty awesome. 🙂
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I love that poem…(applies to most of us…!! ) and everything that Bishop wrote ! K
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SUch a beautiful poem– the ellipses– and sadness– I have not yet been able to listen to your recording as I’ve been either staying with someone or at work with no privacy to listen in that way but I will be going home tonight so will listen. Thanks. K.
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Thanks! I can recite it from memory now, and when it warms up we may do a video version
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I love that poem – for something so often drafted and crafted it seems so natural. Thanks for reminding me of the last time you posted it too 🙂
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And I hope it is OK but I have reblogged it on to No Wriggling….
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I am honored, my friend. Thank you.
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Thank you, Suzie. It brings to mind something Tony Morrison has said: “If the work shows, the work wasn’t done.”
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Reblogged this on No more wriggling out of writing …… and commented:
David J Beauman, otherwise well-known as The Dad Poet has inspired me many a time – usually to focus on a poet I know little about, or appreciate a popular poem in a different way. He also reads poetry beautifully, and I would recommend his recordings on Soundcloud.
Today he has written a great piece about how even the most natural sounding poetry is often crafted and drafted to the enth degree before the poet feels happy with it. Even then, he or she might return to adjust it over time. As he suggests, even if we are now offered the opportunity to share our work with the world the very moment it crosses our mind, and might be encouraged to spew forth our emotions and present them to the world in their raw state, that doesn’t mean we should….
Do explore The Dad Poet blog, especially if you love poetry (although he also writes beautifully on the joys and pressures of family life, and life in general). Be warned though, you may find that like me, you find yourself sidetracked and distracted from the to do list…..
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