RVA Loves Poetry

How can we find meaning in an imperfect world?

Join host Naomi as she explores “O Me! O Life!” by Walt Whitman, a renowned poem that reflects on life's disappointments and uncertainties while ultimately affirming the value of individual purpose, presence, and contribution.

Find the full text of "O Me! O Life!" ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Find additional information and more great poems from Walt Whitman on the Poetry Foundation website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

Can something bitter still remind us of innocence?

Join hosts Deacon and Kayden as they explore Landis Everson's "Lemon Tree", a thought-provoking poem that reimagines the story of Eden through the surprising symbolism of a single tree.

Find the full text of "The Lemon Tree" ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Find additional information and more great poems from Landis Everson on the Poetry Foundation website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

Why do some journeys call to us more powerfully than comfort ever can?

Join host Jerry as he examines "Sea-Fever", a lyrical poem that celebrates the restless spirit and the enduring allure of life at sea.

Find the full text of "Sea-Fever" ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Find additional information and more great poems from John Masefield on the Poetry Foundation website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

How can a poem make you laugh and wince at the same time?

Join hosts Addison and Marya as they delve into "A Fairly Sad Tale," where Dorothy Parker's signature wit transforms romantic frustration into a delightfully self-deprecating reflection.

Find the full text of "A Fairly Sad Tale" ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Find additional information and more great poems from Dorothy Parker on the Poetry Foundation website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

When so much feels beyond our control, what remains within our power?

Join hosts Ben and Drew as they analyze Marcus Jackson's "Heedful Hold", a poem that journeys through fear and loss before finding hope in the deliberate act of caring for the next generation.

Find the full text of "Heedful Hold" ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Find additional information and more great poems from Marcus Jackson on the Poets.org website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

What if the life everyone envies isn't the life anyone truly understands?

Join hosts Gabe and James as they examine "Richard Cory", a poem that reveals the hidden costs of admiration and the dangers of judging a life from the outside.

Find the full text of "Richard Cory" ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Find additional information and more great poems from Edwin Arlington Robinson on the Poetry Foundation website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

Would you step into a river if you couldn't see what waited beneath the surface?

Join host Asli as she dives into Aaron Coleman's "The Broken Man's Permission", a vivid poem where a river becomes a place of fear, reflection, and the fragile hope of remaining whole.

Find the full text of "The Broken Man's Permission" ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Find additional information and more great poems from Aaron Coleman on the Poets.org website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

Why do people need one another to heal?

Join hosts Lexi and Reece as they explore “About Standing (in Kinship)” by Kimberly Blaeser, a moving poem that suggests sorrow, like a broken bone, often finds healing through closeness, support, and community.

Find the full text of "About Standing (in Kinship)" ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Find additional information and more great poems from Kimberly Blaeser on the Poetry Foundation website ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

What might we discover if we listened more carefully to the world around us?

Join host Daniel as he examines a vivid poem by Njeri Wangari that uses the sounds and movements of nature to inspire wonder, while offering a playful critique of the noise and distractions of human society.

Find the full text of "Ũrĩ Waigua (Have you ever Heard)" ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Find additional information and more great poems from Njeri Wangari on her website.

What does it mean to carry someone in your heart after they are gone?

Join hosts Matthew and Willie as they explore “End of April” by Phillis Levin, a reflective poem that uses vivid natural imagery to reveal how memories of a loved one can remain alive within us, bringing both comfort and sorrow.

Find the full text of "End of April" ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Find additional information and more great poems from Phillis Levin on her website.