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Poetry for the People

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Poetry for the People 06-0001 ETF_33_43 12/14/05 4:07 PM Page 33 U.S. Poet Laureates P OETRY 1937–1941 JOSEPH AUSLANDER FOR THE (1897–1965) 1943–1944 ALLEN TATE (1899–1979) P EOPLE 1944–1945 ROBERT PENN WARREN (1905–1989) 1945–1946 LOUISE BOGAN (1897–1970) 1946–1947 KARL SHAPIRO BY (1913–2000) K ITTY J OHNSON 1947–1948 ROBERT LOWELL (1917–1977) HE WRITING AND READING OF POETRY 1948–1949 “ LEONIE ADAMS is the sharing of wonderful discoveries,” according to Ted Kooser, U.S. (1899–1988) TPoet Laureate and winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. 1949–1950 Poetry can open our eyes to new ways of looking at experiences, emo- ELIZABETH BISHOP tions, people, everyday objects, and more. It takes us on voyages with poetic (1911–1979) devices such as imagery, metaphor, rhythm, and rhyme. The poet shares ideas 1950–1952 CONRAD AIKEN with readers and listeners; readers and listeners share ideas with each other. And (1889–1973) anyone can be part of this exchange. Although poetry is, perhaps wrongly, often 1952 seen as an exclusive domain of a cultured minority, many writers and readers of WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS (1883–1963) poetry oppose this stereotype. There will likely always be debates about how 1956–1958 transparent, how easy to understand, poetry should be, and much poetry, by its RANDALL JARRELL very nature, will always be esoteric. But that’s no reason to keep it out of reach. (1914–1965) Today’s most honored poets embrace the idea that poetry should be accessible 1958–1959 ROBERT FROST to everyone. Many of the top proponents of poetry accessibility are Poet Laure- (1874–1963) ates; indeed, the position of Poet Laureate comes with the mandate to bring 1959–1961 poetry to the people. RICHARD EBERHART Ted Kooser is one of those poets. He writes about such so-called ordi- (1904–2005) nary things as cows, stars, screen doors, and satellite dishes. He’s been called an 1961–1963 LOUIS UNTERMEYER archeologist of sorts because when he writes about everyday objects, he recon- (1885–1977) structs the lives of the people who have owned or used them. He says the poet’s 1963–1964 job is to put a teleidoscope up to the ordinary world and give it back to the HOWARD NEMEROV reader to look through. (A teleidoscope is a kaleidoscope with a clear sphere (1920–1991) instead of bits of colored glass. When you look through the opening, it makes 1964–1965 REED WHITTEMORE a kaleidoscopic image from whatever you are viewing.) (1919– ) list continued on page 39 E NGLISH T EACHING F ORUM | N UMBER 1 2006 33 06-0001 ETF_33_43 12/14/05 4:07 PM Page 34 his co-workers, and if they found a poem difficult to decipher, he would rewrite it because he didn’t want to be a poet who is difficult to understand. He says he has never completed a poem in one draft: he often writes as many as 30 or 40 versions before he feels a poem is ready. “I stand for the kind of poetry that the everyday person can understand and appreciate,” he said at a recent poetry reading. Now Kooser is retired from the insurance com- pany and lives on an acreage near Lincoln, Nebras- ka, with his wife, Kathleen Rutlege, who is the edi- tor of a newspaper, the Lincoln Journal Star. With 11 collections of poetry to his name, Kooser teach- es as a visiting professor in the English Depart- ment at the University of Nebraska and still gets up early every day to work on his poems. © AP/WIDEWORLD PHOTOS In addition to being named Poet Laureate of T e d K o o s e r the United States, Kooser has also received many Kooser was born in 1939 in Ames, Iowa. He other honors, including fellowships in poetry received his bachelor’s degree at Iowa State Uni- from the National Endowment for the Arts, a versity and his master’s degree at the University of Pushcart Prize, the Stanley Kunitz Prize and a Nebraska. Both Iowa and Nebraska are states in Nebraska Arts Council Merit Award. Kooser won the Great Plains region of America’s Midwest, an the Pulitzer Prize for poetry for his book Delights area often overshadowed by the more glamorous and Shadows. and populated East and West coasts. The Mid- Kooser is currently serving his second term as west boasts many large cities, but it has more U.S. Poet Laureate. During his first term, he gave small towns, acreages, farms, and open spaces more than 70 interviews and made more than than cities. Known as America’s heartland, the 100 personal appearances to read and talk about Midwest is associated with agriculture, food pro- poetry. He also invited poets and a singer-song- duction, and family life. Kooser, who refers to writer to the literary series at the Library of Con- himself as a “dutiful Midwesterner,” incorporates gress to read and discuss poetry, including the what many Americans think of as typical Mid- poetry of song lyrics. In addition, he initiated the western values into his poetry: common sense, program “American Life in Poetry,” a free column forthrightness, hard work, practicality, morality, for newspapers, which features a poem by a living modesty, reticence. His writing is known for its American poet with an introduction by Kooser. clarity and precision, other qualities often associ- The column, which can be found online at www. ated with the Midwest. Americanlifeinpoetry.org, reaches tens of thou- The clarity and precision come through hard sands of readers. Kooser says he plans to contin- working practicality. Like many poets, for many ue the column after his tenure as Poet Laureate years Kooser held what is known as a “day job,” has ended. working in an insurance company, eventually Librarian of Congress James H. Billington becoming a vice president. He got up early every praises Kooser as a “major voice for rural and morning to write before going to work at the small town America and the first poet chosen insurance office. He often showed his poems to from the Great Plains. His verse reaches beyond 34 2006 NUMBER 1 | E NGLISH T EACHING F ORUM 06-0001 ETF_33_43 12/14/05 4:07 PM Page 35 his native region to touch on universal themes in Librarian consults with the outgoing and former accessible ways.” poet laureates, as well as poetry critics. Commit- You can read Kooser’s biography, watch and tees of local poets often choose local poet laureates listen to video clips of readings and interviews, on the basis of artistic excellence. and read pieces of selected poems on his website: Does the Poet Laureate get paid? www.tedkooser.com. The U.S. Poet Laureate is paid a stipend of $35,000. The stipend is funded by philanthropist S o m e Facts Archer M. Huntington (1870-1955), who was about Poe t L a u reat e s most well known for founding the Hispanic Soci- ety of America. Local poet laureates are paid, if at What is a Poet Laureate? all, on a much smaller scale. A poet laureate is an eminent and representa- tive poet of a country or region. The title itself What does a Poet Laureate do? comes from an early Greek and Roman tradition The Poet Laureate gives an annual lecture and of honoring exceptional poets, war heroes, and reading of his or her poetry and usually introduces athletes, among others, with a crown made of poets in the annual poetry series at the Library of branches from the laurel tree. The laurel tree was Congress. He or she also advises the Library of Con- sacred to the Greek god Apollo, patron of poets. gress on its literary program and recommends new The first English language poet laureates, poetry for the Library’s Archive of Recorded Poetry beginning with Ben Jonson in 1616, were salaried and Literature. In addition, according to the Library members of the British royal household who com- of Congress website, the Poet Laureate “seeks to posed poems for national occasions or for court, raise the national consciousness to a greater appreci- the King or Queen’s formal assembly of coun- ation of the reading and writing of poetry.” cilors and officers. When William Wordsworth Local poet laureates are also out there raising the was appointed Poet Laureate in 1843, the office level of awareness about poetry. For example, in became a reward for artistic eminence. 2001, James Baker Hall, a creative writing teacher, The position of Poet Laureate is much newer became poet laureate for the state of Kentucky. As in the United States. Although an Act of Con- a teacher, he knew that intellectualizing about gress created the title of “Poet Laureate Consul- poetry and other arts is not the same as experi- tant in Poetry” in 1986, the position had existed encing them. During his tenure, he advocated a from 1937 until 1986 as “Consultant in Poetry greater presence of artists in schools to give stu- to the Library of Congress.” dents a chance to actually talk to artists, instead of Local poet laureates are becoming increasingly only learning about their works. popular; in the United States, there are a growing Jose Montoya, a recent Sacramento, Califor- number of state, regional, and even municipal nia, poet laureate, advocated literacy and sought poet laureates. to make poetry accessible to everyone, regardless of their ages or cultural and educational back- How long does a U.S. Poet Laureate serve? grounds. Montoya writes about life in the barrio The appointment is for one year, and runs (a Spanish-speaking community or neighborhood from September to May.
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