In a Dark Time … The Eye Begins to See

I’ve been reading Stanley Kunitz’s poetry almost as long as I’ve been reading poetry, yet his poems always seem fresh to me. Every time I come back to them I find something new that allows me to feel life more vividly. It’s hard to ask much more than that from a poet. Although he seemed [...]

A favorite poet, Stanley Kunitz died Sunday. One of the highlights of my college years was hearing Kunitz read at the University of Washington the year Roethke died. The next day I went to the UW bookstore and bought his book of poetry. I’ve been buying them ever since. I’ve discussed this poem before when [...]

Though I never met him, Stanley Kunitz changed my life. As a tenderfoot in Ted Roethke’s verse writing class, I heard him mention Kunitz as a fine poet and trusted friend. At that stage I barely knew Ogden Nash from a Nash Rambler. Later, Roethke used a line from Kunitz to teach us the concept of [...]