The Poetry Fix

Join Erika Kyba and continue your Lenten journey through the medieval Crucifixion poem, "The Dream of the Rood." In today's excerpt, the poet crafts a parallel between the Cross of Christ and Mary, His mother. Erika analyzes why the poet has chosen to link these two figures together, and what this poetic image says about suffering and glory.

Join Erika Kyba and continue your Lenten journey through the medieval Crucifixion poem, "The Dream of the Rood." In today's excerpt, the poet begins to pull in more and more anachronistic medieval imagery to describe the Crucifixion. What is the significance of this artistic choice? Get your weekly poetry fix and find out!

Today, we continue our Lenten reflections on The Dream of the Rood. Join Erika Kyba as she discusses how the poet imagines the Cross as Christ's shield partner in battle. The poet leads us away from identifying suffering as the villain of the Passion, showing us the bigger picture: the Passion was always a battle against sin. And the Cross is our ally in this battle, not our enemy.

Today, we enter into the Lenten season by reading The Dream of the Rood. Join Erika Kyba to meditate on the poet's reframing of the Crucifixion's tragedy.

Today, we continue our journey through Spencer's Faerie Queene. Join Erika Kyba to analyze the forest symbolism that Spencer uses to set up the themes that will pervade this canto, and strap in as the Knight of the Red Cross seeks his first battle in the Den of Error.

Today, we continue our journey through Spencer's Faerie Queene. Join Erika Kyba as she analyzes how Spencer draws a connection between the poem's female lead, Una, and the symbol of the Lamb of God. We talk about the importance of not judging Una as your typical damsel in distress too quickly; she's a character that might surprise you.

Today, we continue our journey through Spencer's Faerie Queene. Erika Kyba discusses some of Spencer's typical conventions, such as introducing characters by their appearances and actions, allowing the reader to judge their behavior before the poet names them.

Today, Erika Kyba introduces you to Spencer's Faerie Queene. In this episode, we read the Prologue to the Legend of the Knight of the Red Cross (narrated by the lovely Sophia Kyba), and discuss Spencer's intriguing choice of Greek gods to invoke as his muses.

Today, Erika Kyba reads La Fontaine's "The Milk-Maid and the Milk-Pail," a witty and practical French fable about the danger of getting carried away in a daydream.

Today, Erika Kyba reads Emily Dickinson's "We Should not Mind so Small a Flower," in which poet uses the flower of a mustard seed as a metaphor for God instantiating the Kingdom of Heaven through the smallest and most easily overlooked means.