Anna Akhmatova, “Reading Hamlet”
Akhmatova’s imagination brings us to a cruel but familiar place. She reads Hamlet, casts herself as Ophelia, and then sets herself to the task of confront...
Category: poetry
Raymond Carver, “Hummingbird”
Maybe I’m naive, but loving relationships seem like hard work, requiring a combination of thoughtfulness, awareness, and sacrifice not easily obtained, le...
Rae Armantrout, “Decor”
I like to believe that I think a lot about aging gracefully, but have I put in the effort to actually age well? I’m angry at myself for not reading and wr...
William Butler Yeats, “Gratitude to the Unknown Instructors”
At the opening of the Metaphysics, Aristotle proclaims “all men naturally desire knowledge.” Is it true? I wonder if people in the Middle Ages read ...
William Butler Yeats, “The Second Coming”
At once, “The Second Coming” is overblown and understated. Every generation thinks if they do not act, the world will end. Opponents are framed in s...