Where I grew up, there were streets and schools named after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Not because he had ever lived there, but probably because of his poem The Song of Hiawatha and its geographical references. Longfellow was a celebrity in his time, though he had his share of highbrow critics who were dismissive of his popularity. Celebrity […]

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Many of Emily Dickinson’s poems were untitled like this one. Instead it’s known by its number. #254 by Emily Dickinson Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the […]

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You don’t need a 6-week sabbatical in Florence for inspiration. All the material you need to create a poem is right in front of you. It might even be in your living room. If you don’t believe me, click here to read A Pair of Bookends by Robert B. Shaw.

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