MODERN AMERICAN POETRY
SELECTED AND EDITED BY
JOSEPH COULSON
PETER TEMES
J I M BALDWIN
English department chair
Marin Academy
Published by the Great Books Foundation
A nonprofit educational organization
CONTENTS
A NOTE TO THE READER
Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869-1935)
l
HOW TO READ A POEM 3
LUKE HAVERGAL
ABOUT SHARED INQUIRY 21
RICHARD CORY
58
59
MINIVER CHEEVY
THE DARK HILLS
Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
SONG OF MYSELF (selection)
To A STRANGER
60
62
MR. FLOOD'S PARTY
63
WHY HE WAS THERE
65
26
30
WE TWO BOYS TOGETHER CLINGING
SALUT AU MONDE! (selection)
THERE WAS A CHILD WENT FORTH
To A LOCOMOTIVE IN WINTER
Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)
31
32
THE POET AND HIS SONG
37
A SUMMER'S NIGHT
39
WHEN DEY 'LISTED COLORED SOLDIERS
WE WEAR THE MASK
[I TASTE A LIQUOR NEVER BREWED]
Robert Frost (1874-1963)
44
[THIS WORLD IS NOT CONCLUSION]
MOWING
45
[THE SOUL SELECTS HER OWN SOCIETY]
[I DIED FOR BEAUTY - BUT WAS SCARCE ]
[I HEARD A FLY BUZZ - WHEN I DIED]
[PERCEPTION OF AN OBJECT COSTS]
46
47
48
PETIT, THE POET
53
ANNE RUTLEDGE
54
LUCINDA MATLOCK
77
THE HILL WIFE
78
"OUT, OUT—"
82
ACQUAINTED WITH THE NIGHT
DESERT PLACES
WILLFUL HOMING
83
84
THE SUBVERTED FLOWER
50
Edgar Lee Masters (1868-1950)
52
76
THE TELEPHONE
[UNDUE SIGNIFICANCE A STARVING
MAN ATTACHES] 49
"BUTCH" WELDY
73
42
43
[I FELT A FUNERAL, IN MY BRAIN]
70
72
THE UNSUNG HEROES
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
[I'M NOBODY! WHO ARE YOU?]
68
69
85
88
Wallace Stevens (1879-1955)
FROM THE MISERY OF DON JOOST
ANECDOTE OF THE JAR
90
91
FROGS EAT BUTTERFLIES. SNAKES EAT FROGS.
HOGS EAT SNAKES. MEN EAT HOGS 92
55
THIRTEEN WAYS OF LOOKING AT A BLACKBIRD
How TO LIVE. WHAT TO DO
THE POEMS OF OUR CLIMATE
STUDY OF TWO PEARS
96
97
98
THE IDEA OF ORDER AT KEY WEST
OF MERE BEING
vii
103
100
93
CONTENTS
-•
William Carlos Williams (1883-1963)
To WAKEN AN OLD LADY
THE YOUNG HOUSEWIFE
QUEEN-ANNE'S-LACE
106
E. E. C u m m i n g s (1894-1962)
FIVE AMERICANS (selection)
[BECAUSE IT'S/SPRING]
107
[A GREAT/MAN]
108
THE WIDOW'S LAMENT IN SPRINGTIME
109
152
153
154
[WHO ARE YOU,LITTLE I]
155
SPRING AND ALL HO
[BUFFALO BILL'S/DEFUNCT]
THE GREAT FIGURE
[IF THERE ARE ANY HEAVENS MY MOTHER
WILL(ALLBYHERSELF)HAVE]
157
112
THIS Is JUST TO SAY
113
[SOMEWHERE I HAVE NEVER TRAVELLED.GLADLY
BEYOND] 158
THE LAST WORDS OF MY ENGLISH
GRANDMOTHER 114
LANDSCAPE WITH THE FALL OF ICARUS
THE RED WHEELBARROW
THE DESCENT
156
«6
[AT DUSK/JUST WHEN]
[L(A/LE/AF]
117
159
161
118
Hart Crane (1899-1932)
H. D . (1886-1961)
LEGEND
THE HELMSMAN
MY GRANDMOTHER'S LOVE LETTERS
CHANCE
GARDEN ABSTRACT
124
FRAGMENT 113
LETHE
LEDA
122
164
CHAPLINESQUE
126
RECITATIVE
128
165
166
167
168
129
Langston Hughes (1902-1967)
T. S. Eliot (1888-1965)
THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS
THE LOVE SONG OF j . ALFRED PRUFROCK
I, Too 171
PRELUDES
138
RHAPSODY ON A WINDY NIGHT
AUNT HELEN
THE WEARY BLUES
172
RAILROAD AVENUE
174
HARLEM NIGHT
145
THE HOLLOW MEN
141
132
146
175
THEME FOR ENGLISH B
HARLEM [2]
170
176
178
Theodore Roethke (1908-1963)
CHILD ON TOP OF A GREENHOUSE
I KNEW A WOMAN
THE VOICE
THE WAKING
181
182
183
A WALK IN LATE SUMMER
IN EVENING AIR
THE SEQUEL
187
186
184
180
CONTENTS
Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979)
Denise Levertov (1923-1997)
C H E M I N DE FER
THE LOVERS
THE FISH
190
INVITATION TO M I S S MARIANNE MOORE
SESTINA
194
INSOMNIA
WEDDING-RING
THE BATTERERS
198
23s
236
MID-AMERICAN TRAGEDY
196
SANDPIPER
234
A W O M A N MEETS AN OLD LOVER
191
237
238
199
NORTH HAVEN
200
John Logan (1923-1987)
LINES ON H I S BIRTHDAY
Robert Hayden (1913-1980)
BELSEN, DAY OF LIBERATION
THOSE WINTER SUNDAYS
FOR A YOUNG ARTIST
THE ISLANDS
240
P O E M , SLOW TO C O M E , ON THE DEATH
OF C U M M I N G S (1894-1962)
204
POEM FOR M Y BROTHER
205
BELIEVE IT
206
241
244
246
208
Donald Justice (1925-)
Randall Jarrell (1914-1965)
90 NORTH
T I M E A N D THE WEATHER
M E N AT FORTY
212
THE DEATH OF THE BALL TURRET GUNNER
WHEN I WAS H O M E LAST C H R I S T M A S . . .
THE W O M A N AT THE WASHINGTON ZOO
THE PLAYER PIANO
214
215
216
223
WHAT GETS AWAY
224
AMERICAN GOTHIC
226
Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000)
THE PREACHER: RUMINATES BEHIND
THE SERMON
WE REAL COOL
To BLACK W O M E N
253
254
AFTER LOVE
258
259
LIVING ALONE WITH JESUS
225
229
How IT IS
231
262
264
Robert Bly (1926-)
THREE PRESIDENTS
266
THE DEAD SEAL
W H Y W E DON'T DIE
THINGS TO THINK
268
269
I N RAINY SEPTEMBER
230
260
THE LONGING TO BE SAVED
AFTER LONG BUSYNESS
228
THE SONNET-BALLAD
POEM
MORNING SWIM
222
NOTICE WHAT THIS POEM I S NOT D O I N G
250
THE TELEPHONE NUMBER OF THE M U S E
Maxine Kumin (1925-)
William Stafford (1914-1993)
W H Y I A M A POET
THE TOURIST FROM SYRACUSE
THE M I S S I N G PERSON
218
TRAVELING THROUGH THE DARK
248
249
271
272
273
252
CONTENTS
James Wright (1927-1980)
Robert Creeley (1926-)
THE INNOCENCE
I KNOW A M A N
THE RAIN
THIS DAY
PINE ISLAND, MINNESOTA
279
BEGINNING
316
317
HAVING LOST M Y S O N S , I CONFRONT THE WRECKAGE
OF THE M O O N : CHRISTMAS, i 9 6 0
282
318
A PRAYER TO ESCAPE FROM THE MARKET PLACE
283
284
Donald Hall (1928-)
M Y S O N M Y EXECUTIONER
Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997)
DIGGING
KADDISH (selection)
292
322
323
THE M A N IN THE DEAD M A C H I N E
324
FOURTH FLOOR, DAWN, U P ALL N I G H T
W R I T I N G LETTERS
WOOLWORTH'S
296
Now AND FOREVER
325
MAPLE SYRUP
297
HOMELESS COMPLEYNT
326
KICKING THE LEAVES
298
PEACE I N BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
329
299
Anne Sexton (1928-1974)
Frank O'Hara (1926-1966)
W H Y I A M NOT A PAINTER
302
A TRUE ACCOUNT OF TALKING TO THE S U N
AT FIRE ISLAND
HER K I N D
336
WITH MERCY FOR THE GREEDY
HOUSEWIFE
JUST ONCE
303
THE DAY LADY DIED
PEARL HARBOR
315
LYING I N A H A M M O C K AT WILLIAM DUFFY'S FARM IN
281
IF HAPPINESS
OH MAX
277
280
SELF-PORTRAIT
314
A U T U M N BEGINS I N MARTINS FERRY, O H I O
278
THE LANGUAGE
ARROYO
SAINT JUDAS
276
340
THE A M B I T I O N BIRD
306
337
339
341
307
FOR GRACE, AFTER A PARTY
To M Y DEAD FATHER
INTERIOR (WITH JANE)
308
Adrienne Rich (1929-)
309
LIVING I N S I N
310
AUTOBIOGRAPHIA LLTERARIA
311
VILLA ADRIANA
344
345
THE BLUE GHAZALS (selection)
DIVING INTO THE WRECK
346
347
TWENTY-ONE LOVE POEMS (selection)
H OMAG E TO Wl NTER
352
351
319
Marge Piercy (1936-)
Gary Snyder (1930-)
ABOVE PATE VALLEY
GOOFING A G A I N
RIPRAP
FOR THE YOUNG W H O WANT TO
356
SIGN
357
390
392
THE SKYSCRAPERS OF THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT
358
MARIN-AN
DANCE WITH G A S M A N
359
AXE HANDLES
As FOR POETS
393
SEPTEMBER AFTERNOON AT FOUR O'CLOCK
360
B A R B I E DOLL
362
I W E N T INTO THE MAVERICK BAR
39s
364
Michael S. Harper (1938-)
Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)
THE COLOSSUS
MIRROR
LETTER TO A M O O N CHILD
BLACK STUDY
366
398
399
THE DANCE OF THE ELEPHANTS
367
LADY LAZARUS
368
SHEEP IN FOG
372
REUBEN M A S A I HARPER
IF You
EDGE
400
W E A S S U M E : O N THE DEATH OF O U R S O N ,
D O N ' T FORCE IT
402
403
373
RELEASE: K I N D OF BLUE
Mark Strand (1934-)
KEEPING THINGS W H O L E
405
Yusef Komunyakaa (1947-)
376
O U T THERE THERE BE DRAGONS
EATING POETRY
STRANDS
FOR JESSICA, M Y DAUGHTER
409
378
UNTITLED BLUES
THE C O N T I N U O U S LIFE
410
380
VILLON / L E A D B E L L Y
THE END
381
THE NIGHT, THE PORCH
412
THE M u s i c THAT HURTS
413
B I R D S ON A POWERLINE
414
382
Richard Brautigan (1935-1984)
ORANGES
408
377
Linda Hogan (1947-)
384
NOTHING
DEATH I S A BEAUTIFUL CAR PARKED ONLY
Two
A BASEBALL G A M E
386
THE SIDNEY GREENSTREET BLUES
416
385
Two
OF HEARTS
417
419
387
THE NEW APARTMENT: M I N N E A P O L I S
CELEBRATION: BIRTH OF A COLT
422
420
394
CONTENTS
Martfn Espada (1957-)
Ray A. Young Bear (1950-)
FROM THE SPOTTED NIGHT
BULLY
424
W A D A S A N A K A M O O N , VIETNAM M E M O R I A L
O U R BIRD A E G I S
466
JORGE THE CHURCH JANITOR FINALLY QUITS
467
THE LOVER OF A SUBVERSIVE I S ALSO
426
THE M A S K OF FOUR INDISTINGUISHABLE
THUNDERSTORMS
425
A SUBVERSIVE
FIDEL I N O H I O
427
468
470
TIRES STACKED I N THE HALLWAYS
OF CIVILIZATION
471
Rita Dove (1952-)
W H O B U R N S FOR THE PERFECTION OF PAPER
TESTIMONIAL
THE M U S I C OF ASTRONOMY
ROSA
432
"TEACH U S TO NUMBER OUR D A Y S "
GOSPEL
434
Li-Young Lee U957-)
435
THE GIFT
476
EARLY I N THE M O R N I N G
Naomi Shihab Nye (1952-)
MINNOWS
WHAT PEOPLE DO
How
478
479
EATING TOGETHER
KNOW W H O YOU ARE
BLOOD
EATING ALONE
438
M Y FATHER A N D THE FIGTREE
You
473
433
480
T H I S R O O M A N D EVERYTHING I N IT
439
THIS HOUR A N D WHAT IS DEAD
441
442
444
Gerry Crinnin (1958-)
PALESTINIANS KEEP W A R M
445
NOCTURNE
FINAL EXAM
486
487
Gary Soto (1952-)
C O M M O N GRAVE
M O V I N G AWAY
W A L K I N G THROUGH GLASS
448
W I N BLACK A N D WHITE
BLACK H A I R
COLLEGE CAR
488
A NOTE ON METER
452
Jane Hirshfield (1953-)
FOR WHAT B I N D S Us
456
457
THE LOVE OF AGED HORSES
THE W E I G H I N G
HOPE A N D LOVE
458
459
NOT M O V I N G EVEN O N E STEP
STANDING DEER
491
GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS
453
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
POMEGRANATES
489
449
451
B E H I N D G R A N D M A ' S HOUSE
MATHEMATICS
481
483
461
462
463
460
505
501
472