Walt Hunter
Appearances
Radio Atlantic
The Books We Read in High School (Part 1)
A book that I remember making a strong impact on me was John Donne's Songs and Sonnets from the early 17th century. This is a collection of poems that I found initially completely elusive, but enthralling because of the language. There's something about the extravagance that Donne brings into a simple metaphor. For example, a poem in which you're apart from your beloved.
Radio Atlantic
The Books We Read in High School (Part 1)
He used a metaphor of an old-fashioned compass with two legs that kind of used to draw. And as one goes farther away, one leg goes farther away from the other, they're still kind of united in their trajectory. That image is one that's always been, I think, present in my mind whenever I'm teaching poetry at all. This book made it possible for me to teach poetry without fearing its difficulty.
Radio Atlantic
The Books We Read in High School (Part 1)
Because I think that one of the things that students really fear when they come to poetry is that there's a huge barrier to entry for them. And although Don is one of our most difficult poets, it's also very true that the images he uses are very clear, very excitingly... distinct from a lot of other poetry. And the music with which he writes is instantly memorable.
Radio Atlantic
The Books We Read in High School (Part 1)
And I think that one of the ways in which the poems have endured for me and ramified through my adult life is as little mantras that I can repeat in my head whenever I'm going through you know, a difficult situation or a joyous situation. As virtuous men pass mildly away and whisper to their souls to go. I mean, these are just go-to lines and rhythms that I hold on to.
Radio Atlantic
The Books We Read in High School (Part 1)
There are other voices that live within me, and I find a lot of comfort in that. I'm Walt Hunter, professor of English and chair of the English department at Case Western Reserve University, and I'm contributing editor at The Atlantic, where I focus on poetry and fiction.