April 9, 2012: Poems I Love, Part One

[I’m spending much of my blog-time this week working on a new writing project, about which more to come soon (when details become more finalized). So in honor of National Poetry Month, I’m going to highlight one amazing American poem per day this week, say one thing about why I love it, and then hope that you’ll a) read and enjoy; and b) share your own nominations in comments!]

Randall Jarrell’s

“The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” (1945)

The best poem about war I’ve ever read; also the single most gut-wrenchingly powerful poem I know.

Next poem tomorrow,

Ben

PS. What’s a favorite of yours?

4/9 Memory Day nominees: A tie between Paul Robeson, whose diverse and singular talents and achievements were for a while overshadowed, but should instead only be amplified, by his political and social passions and risks; and Paule Marshall, the daughter of Barbadian American immigrants whose powerful and inspring novels and stories explore Caribbean American identity, race, culture, and gender in America, city life, and universal human themes with equal sensitivity and skill.