Medium and Message
by: Billy Collins
If John Keats
had ever held in his hand
a photograph of Marilyn Monroe,
his mind would have been blown twice, at once.
One of John Keats' most famous quotes is this: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness. Beauty is truth, truth beauty that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
I think, in a way, this is what Collins' poem is about. Keats wrote about beauty (and mortality and immortality, among other things). He was very aware of the fragility and transience of life. Lilacs bloom and wither in the space of a few weeks. Sunrises give way to day. Sunsets, to darkness and stars. Notre Dame cathedral was destroyed by fire.
Tonight, I took part in a poetry reading for the Great Lakes Poetry Festival. Several authors from Harvard Square Press read from their books, and the venue was standing room only. The highlight of the evening for me was a reading by a great friend whose chapbook was just published. The poems were dazzling, and I was thrilled listening to my friend give them breath.
Saint Marty's mind was blown, and he wasn't even holding a picture of Marilyn Monroe.
Mind Blown
by: Martin Achatz
It doesn't take much, just
a line of poetry so strong
it could flatten a Kansas
town with the tornado
of its breath.
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| Picture courtesy of Sarah Still |
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