It's one of my favorite things to do on those lazy hot days. from Mary Oliver's biography on Poetry Foundation. Mary Oliver . When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The beloved late poet Mary Oliver Oliver was known for her poems that contemplate the relationship between nature and spirituality. One answer we might venture is that she is an accessible nature poet but also effortlessly and brilliantly relates encounters with nature to those qualities which make us most human, with our flaws and idiosyncrasies. You do not have to be good. We will see what the poet had to say about death and dying, but we will also share what Oliver had to say about life and living. The transition from engaging the natural world to engaging more personal realms was also evident in New and Selected Poems (1992), which won the National Book Award. The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now, King Charles Reportedly Began Evicting Meghan and Harry the Day After. Below are a collection of her best-loved poems, covering subjects like life, death, and everything in between. Meanwhile the world goes on. Olivers poetry, wrote Poetry magazine contributor Richard Tillinghast in a review of White Pine (1994) floats above and around the schools and controversies of contemporary American poetry. She was 83. So even though we, too, will include short snippets from her poems in this article, we encourage you to read the pieces in their entirety. "There are things you can't reach. "Maria Shriver Interviews the Famously Private Poet Mary Oliver", The Land and Words of Mary Oliver, the Bard of Provincetown, https://web.archive.org/web/20090508075809/http://www.beacon.org/contributorinfo.cfm?ContribID=1299, "Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet Mary Oliver Dies at 83", "Poetry: Past winners & finalists by category, "Beloved Poet Mary Oliver Who Believed Poetry Mustn't Be Fancy Dies at 83", "Book awards: L.L. "[4] She commented in a rare interview "When things are going well, you know, the walk does not get rapid or get anywhere: I finally just stop, and write. Seattleites get to see scenes this beautiful all summer long, in 3 directions, from any hill, of which there are a myriad. Despite its cherry-picked commodification, the poem is responsible for pulling so many new readers into verses thralls, a difficult thing to do in an age of distraction. [10] The Harvard Review describes her work as an antidote to "inattention and the baroque conventions of our social and professional lives. Mary Oliver (1935-2019) was a Pulitzer Prize winning poet. . The shortest poem on this list, running to just four short, accessible lines of verse, The Uses of Sorrow once again provides us with a concrete image for an abstract emotion: here, sorrow, rather than joy. I wantto think again of dangerous and noble things.I want to be light and frolicsome.I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing,as though I had wings., People love Olivers poems because they are so accessible. Success! Her award-winning poetry received accolades throughout her lifetime, but her story begins with her birth in Maple Hills Heights, Ohio. the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down. Mary Jane Oliver was an American poet who won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. The imagery used inWild Geeseallows readers to feel a connection with nature, no matter where they may currently be. In 1983, Olivers fifth book, American Primitive, won her the Pulitzer Prize. "[13] In her article "The Language of Nature in the Poetry of Mary Oliver", Diane S. Bond echoes that "few feminists have wholeheartedly appreciated Oliver's work, and though some critics have read her poems as revolutionary reconstructions of the female subject, others remain skeptical that identification with nature can empower women. She wonders over who created the world, the black bear, and . Someone I loved oncegave me a box full of darkness.It took me years to understand thatthis, too, was a gift.. Pinterest. So even though we, too, will include short snippets from her poems in this article, we encourage you to read the pieces in their entirety. This grasshopper, I mean-- With your one wild and precious life? The volume consists of 14 stories, 10 of which had been previously published in magazines. [15] Of Provincetown she recalled, "I too fell in love with the town, that marvelous convergence of land and water; Mediterranean light; fishermen who made their living by hard and difficult work from frighteningly small boats; and, both residents and sometime visitors, the many artists and writers.[] Oliver died on January 17, 2019 at age 83. Its already greatly changed. Her poetry combines dark introspection with joyous release. It is characterised by a sincere wonderment at the impact of natural imagery, conveyed in unadorned language. You might also want to visit the Facebook fan book page for the poet. I am bending my knee In the eye of the Father who created me, In the eye of the Son who purchased me, In the eye of the Spirit who cleansed . Perhaps the most beloved and recited poem by Mary Oliver, " A Summer Day " has captured the hearts and minds of generations of readers. According to aprofile on the prolific poet in The New Yorker, With her consistent, shimmering reverence for flora and fauna, Oliver made herself one of the most beloved poets of her generation. We believe reflecting on our mortality can help us lead more meaningful lives. Her poems are filled with imagery from her daily walks near her home:[6] shore birds, water snakes, the phases of the moon and humpback whales. This link will open in a new window. Mary Oliver, who has died aged 83, was perhaps the most popular American poet of the past few decades. While Oliver didnt earn her college degree, she became an esteemed teacher to others. Her work is inspired by nature, rather than the human world, stemming from her lifelong passion for solitary walks in the wild. 218. Its easy to point out the differences in humanity, but in reality, we share deep commonalities. Even though Oliver studied at two colleges, she didnt earn a degree. This may very well be my favorite day of the year. symbolizes the beginning and the end. Chances are that you will connect with the theme of the poem, I Worried. In it, the speaker worries about the world, relationships, and health. She was 83. Who made the grasshopper? by Rick Bass | July 5, 2021. who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. / I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms., Your first look at Meghan and Harrys $3 million country home, The truth about Elizabeth Warren and likability. This poem shows the connection between humans and nature, describing how were all trying to fight through life, one day at a time. Her familiarity with the natural world has an uncomplicated, nineteenth-century feeling.. We discuss this poem in more depth here. Book: A Thousand Mornings: Poems by Mary Oliver Classics. Olivers readers are privy to her love for the world around her, and her writing serves to help readers develop a more profound love for natural spaces rather than forcing them to unravel complicated writing to discover her true feelings. She would retreat from a difficult home to the nearby woods, where she would build huts of sticks and grass and write poems. Millay's influence is apparent in . If you are interested in learning more, learn the answer to the question is Dr. Seuss poetry. At its most intense, her poetry aims to peer beneath the constructions of culture and reason that burden us with an alienated consciousness to celebrate the primitive, mystical visions that reveal a mossy darkness / a dream that would never breathe air / and was hinged to your wildest joy / like a shadow. Her last books included A Thousand Mornings (2012), Dog Songs (2013), Blue Horses (2014), Felicity (2015), Upstream: Selected Essays (2016), and Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver (2017). Following her move to the Cape Cod area, it didnt take long for Olivers work to garner attention. Thank you. Beautiful! Mary Oliver was born in 1935 and grew up in a small town in Ohio. There was an error submitting your subscription. This link will open in a new window. Oliver continued writing throughout her golden years and enjoyed splitting her time between her home in Providence and a home in Hobe Sound, Florida. A decade later, Oliver won the National Book Award for her 1992 book, New and Selected Poems. I don't know why I felt such an affinity with the natural world except that it was available to me, that's the first thing. a lot of repetition in the poem. Join. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. This poem demonstrates Oliver's fine eye for detail when it comes to observing nature. The world offers itself to your imagination, Calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting, I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down. Here are some of her best pieces. Accept, Mary Oliver Poems to Share at a Funeral or Memorial Service, We would like to scratch the surface of Olivers poetry. We hope you've enjoyed these incredible poems. This is a poem about undertaking the difficult but rewarding journey of saving the one person you can save: yourself. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. (Its a clich that writers use even their sorrows for inspiration, turning the worst moments of their lives into something positive but this poem puts such a sentiment more lyrically and memorably.). The start and the ending of the poem. And took my old bodyand went out into the morning,and sang.. All rights reserved. Enter your email address to subscribe to this site and receive notifications of new posts by email. Matthew something.Which lectionary? Check out our the summer day mary oliver poem selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. M. and I decided to stay. 21 is quite a number. The Real Prayers Are Not the Words, But the Attention that Comes First. It then transpires that the speaker is referring to a specific grasshopper, which is eating sugar out of her hand at that precise moment. We champion excellence in poetry and grow audiences through National Poetry Day, the Forward Prizes for Poetry and annual Forward books. According to Bruce Bennetin the New York Times Book Review, American Primitive, insists on the primacy of the physical. Bennet commended Olivers distinctive voice and vision and asserted that the collection contains a number of powerful, substantial works. Holly Prado of the Los Angeles Times Book Review also applauded Olivers original voice, writing that American Primitive touches a vitality in the familiar that invests it with a fresh intensity. I mean, Mary freaking Oliver. One critic wrote that Mary Oliver was as visionary as Emerson. Like Emerson, Oliver was known for writing about the quiet occurrences of nature, such as the lean owls / hunkering with their lamp-eyes.. Her main themes continue to be the intersection between the human and the natural world, as well as the limits of human consciousness and language in articulating such a meeting. One of Olivers later poems was entitledWhen Death Comesand read: When its over, I want to say: all my lifeI was a bride married to amazement.I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.. Copyright 2008 - 2023 . The volume contains poems from eight of Olivers previous volumes as well as previously unpublished, newer work. Reviewing Dream Work (1986) for the Nation, critic Alicia Ostriker numbered Oliver among Americas finest poets, as visionary as [Ralph Waldo] Emerson. I supposethere is a reason for this, so I will bepatient, acquiescent. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. As Oliver grew and developed as a poet, her work shifted from stark observations of the natural world to noting how nature and the self interacted. "The Summer Day" is not a poem about disengaging from the world; it's about engaging with itfully, whole-heartedly, passionately, without reserve. 12. r/Poetry. Oliver was one of the most . Categories: Poems about death Grief quotes, . "Mary Oliver and the Tradition of Romantic Nature Poetry". There, she would use twigs and branches as her playthings as she wrote. "For me the door to the woods is the door to the temple." Mary Oliver, Upstream. In just a few short lines, Oliver captures the essence of a summer day and the fleeting nature of time. David A. Morris . She was an American poet and winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. In it, the speaker describes spending the night in the perfection of nature. The pair led a notably private life, with Oliver rarely giving interviews. 2. Nothing Is Too Small Not to Be Wondered About. She worked for a time as a secretary for the sister of Edna St. Vincent Millay. On the rare occasion that Oliver spoke to journalists, she was noted as being gracious and welcoming, although many were critical of her poetry, stating that it was too plain and simple. 5 the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-. Who made the swan, and the black bear? We will see what the poet had to say about death and dying, but we will also share what Oliver had to say about life and living. Oliver was dedicated to helping her readers access her workshe thrived on the idea of creating a community of like-minded people who loved nature, humanness, and simplicity. ' The Summer Day' by Mary Oliver is a beautiful and thoughtful poem about the purpose of life and the value of individual moments. Mary Oliver writes a love letter to the ocean in this piece. I dont want to find myself sighing and frightened, I dont want to end up simply having visited this world., the way to the Way. It features a memorable contemplation of who created the world and the vastly . 'The Summer Day' by Mary Oliver is a nineteen line poem that is contained within a single stanza of text. "[1] New York Times reviewer Bruce Bennetin stated that the Pulitzer Prizewinning collection American Primitive, "insists on the primacy of the physical"[1] while Holly Prado of Los Angeles Times Book Review noted that it "touches a vitality in the familiar that invests it with a fresh intensity. The speaker in the poem observes a grasshopper and reflects on the creature's brief existence. the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, perfect. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms. Usage of any form or other service on our website is She had a long and celebrated career: . We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Watch the full event here: https://youtu.be/zsr3ZZzH-MA Subs. [6], In 2012, Oliver was diagnosed with lung cancer, but was treated and given a "clean bill of health. who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Rambles with Americas most popular poet. xo, How cool is it find these soul sisters singing about Solstice? This link will open in a new window. [1], She worked at ''Steepletop'', the estate of Edna St. Vincent Millay, as secretary to the poet's sister. In Long life she says "[I] go off to my woods, my ponds, my sun-filled harbor, no more than a blue comma on the map of the world but, to me, the emblem of everything. In Ice, the speaker tells the story of how her father spent his last winter making ice-grips for shoes. Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntingdon on April 25, 1599; he attended the local grammar school before going to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, which had a reputation for Puritanism. She often wrote nature poetry, focusing on the area of New England which she called home from the 1960s; she mentioned the Romantics, especially John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as fellow American poets Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson as her influences. Nine years ago this week, I and my groom, Jim, listened as our dear friend Jennifer Soule read Mary Oliver's poem "The Summer Day.". Unfortunately, she passed away at 83 years old in 2019. Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Wow. The poem first appeared in Oliver's book House of Light (1990) and has since been reprinted in several of her works and quoted in illustrations, sermons, commencement addresses, blog posts, and inspirational books. That's a successful walk!" "[14], On a visit to Austerlitz in the late 1950s, Oliver met photographer Molly Malone Cook, who would become her partner for over forty years. Throughout her life, Oliver was thankful for the privilege of experiencing nature in such a personal way. "A Visitor". Once again, Oliver takes us into particular moments, specific encounters with nature which surprise and arrest us. "[12] Reviewing Dream Work for The Nation, critic Alicia Ostriker numbered Oliver among America's finest poets: "visionary as Emerson [ she is] among the few American poets who can describe and transmit ecstasy, while retaining a practical awareness of the world as one of predators and prey. Olivers work showed that people didnt need to separate themselves from the natural world to observe it. "Daisies". By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. form. "Mary Oliver." Poetry Foundation. We can also see. Tis a good day! In fact, many of her poems have been distilled and included on lists of quotes about death. It's the Olympics to the West, Cascades to the East, and that big ice cream cone looking volcano hovering to the South. [3], Oliver has also been compared to Emily Dickinson, with whom she shared an affinity for solitude and inner monologues. Please try again. But as Beyer would soon realize, Finchs past wasnt what she claimedand Beyers own difficult history was up for the taking. Critics have compared Oliver to other great American lyric poets and celebrators of nature, including Marianne Moore, Elizabeth Bishop, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Walt Whitman. Monica Lewinsky: 25 Randoms on the 25th Anniversary of the Bill Clinton Calamity. how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, They made their home largely in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where they lived until Cook's death in 2005, and where Oliver continued to live[10] until relocating to Florida. However, her later work is said to be more personal in nature. Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. Although there could be a deeper meaning to this poem, especially since the poet herself had a troubled childhood, this piece may speak to someone who is in the process of cleaning out a loved ones home. I love this video. Finally, the speaker comes to this conclusion: Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing.And gave it up. Who made the grasshopper? Oliver was one of the most decorated people in American literature, having received a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in 1980, the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, and the National Book Award in 1992. 10 Now she snaps her wings open, and . We'd selected the poem for our wedding because the ending lines had spoken to us throughout our courtship: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and . In addition, the poet received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Or is it? I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down. [4] She often carried a 3-by-5-inch hand-sewn notebook for recording impressions and phrases. 10 Best Mary Oliver Works about Life and Death, Love, Heavy. [5] Oliver's first collection of poems, No Voyage and Other Poems, was published in 1963, when she was 28. As a child, she spent a great deal of time outside where she enjoyed going on walks or reading. In addition, her work explored how human consciousness influences a persons perception of nature. Here we have another poem about a bird, but one which describes the starlings in a down-to-earth manner, as if resisting the Romantic impulse to soar off into the heavens with its subject: starlings are chunky and noisy, Oliver tells us in the poems opening line, as they spring from a telephone wire and become acrobats in the wind. Jul 19. seeker. The trees keep whispering, There was someone I loved who grew old and ill. and loss, we appreciate the poets instructions and advice on living life. . love what it loves. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Many users would be better served consulting an attorney than using a do-it-yourself online Oliver also was awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. You do not have to be good.You do not have to walk on your kneesfor a hundred miles through the desert repenting.You only have to let the soft animal of your bodylove what it loves.Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.Meanwhile the world goes on.Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rainare moving across the landscapes,over the prairies and the deep trees,the mountains and the rivers.Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,are heading home again.Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,the world offers itself to your imagination,calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting over and over announcing your placein the family of things.. In 1620 he married Elizabeth Bourchier and settled down on his modest estate. are not protected by an attorney-client privilege and are instead governed by our Privacy Policy. The fees for the advice of an attorney should not be compared to the fees of do-it-yourself online who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. January 17, 2019. The idea of God. Mary Oliver, The Summer Day. This prompts the speaker to meditate on mortality, human beings' relationship with . She explains how she longs to be more like the starlings, who can move with the rules of nature, seemingly free of fear. r/Poetry. Shortly after ending her collegiate studies, Oliver met her lifelong partner, Molly Malone Cook. Many of her pieces would be an appropriate choice as a, Oliver did not shy away from the topic of death. In the book of life, you are the one that decides what you really believe in. This short poem is unlike many of the poems mentioned so far in that it is not a nature poem at all, but a poem which deals in the abstract. Oliver expertly describes the sense of wonder that comes with watching a flock of starlings as they move in perfect harmony to their next destination. Oliver is in a category of . how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields. What is the purpose of the summer day by Mary Oliver? This one's mine today: "Spring" by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The Summer Day 'The Summer Day' is another very well-known Mary Oliver poem. Known for developing a strong connection with the natural world, Mary Olivers poetry shares her beloved memories of New England and Ohio. In an interview with the Christian Science Monitor in 1992, Oliver commented on growing up in Ohio, saying, "It was pastoral, it was nice, it was an extended family. In her later years she spoke openly of profound abuse she suffered as a child. Shortly after the business world discovered Oliver, so did many high-school students. It indeed may be impossible for me to choose one Mary Oliver poem as a personal favorite. She published several poetry collections, including Dog Songs: Poems (Penguin Books, 2015). Mary Oliver's books of poetry include: No Voyage and Other Poems (1963); The River Styx, Ohio, and Other Poems (1972); Twelve Moons (1979 . She attended both Ohio State University and Vassar College, but did not receive a degree from either institution. Olivers poetry received many accolades, such as the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and a Lannan Literary Award for lifetime achievement. And I write back: Mother, pleaseSave everything.. At Cake, we help you create one for free. Mary Oliver held the Catharine Osgood Foster Chair for Distinguished Teaching at Bennington College until 2001. 88 books6,146 followers. Cook was Oliver's literary agent. written as a single block of text without. 3. Tell me, what else should I have done? . And sorrow is a box full of darkness, given to the poet for this, too, she realises, is a gift. Mary Oliver. Day 5 The Summer Day (Mary Oliver) - Poetry, Nature and Faith The Truro Bear and Other Adventures: Poems and Essays . Mostly, I want to be kind.And nobody, of course, is kind,or mean,for a simple reason. After this advice, the speaker (Oliver?) At 17 she visited the home of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, in Austerlitz, New York,[1][4] where she then formed a friendship with the late poet's sister Norma. So much of her work contemplates how to live, and how to die. First published in 1990, the poem is simultaneously elegant and beautiful. She is a poet of wisdom and generosity whose vision allows us to look intimately at a world not of our making. I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens. Oliver did not shy away from the topic of death. A sense of wonder pervades thr. "The Summer Day" first appeared in House of Light (Beacon Press, 1990), and has been reprinted in New and Selected Poems, Volume 1 (Beacon Press, 1992) and The Truro Bear and Other Adventures (Beacon Press, 2008). Fans of her work find that they enjoy repeating her poems, delving deeper into how her uncomplicated verbiage translates to universal human experiences. Who made the swan, and the black bear? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. But part of the joy and wonder of the poem comes from her use of questions, the 'did you see . from Dead Poet's Society. the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down --. I love poetry, and I often try to memorize poems that inspire me. But I will livenowhere except here, by Ocean, trustingequally in all the blast and welcomeof her sorrowless, salt self.. Still, she has been compared to other celebrated contemporaries, including Walt Whitman, Marianne Moore, and Elizabeth Bishop. Get the latest chatter, from Kensington Palace and beyond, straight to your inbox. [6] Oliver was the editor of the 2009 edition of Best American Essays. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. yes..21 is quite the number..bday, death day, sobriety day sons bday..all different months butcrazy weird, Your comment gave me goose bumps. Her work is inspired by nature, rather than the human world, stemming from her lifelong passion for solitary walks in the wild. It is not just the appearance but the sound of these birds which draws the poet here, their musical competition as they try to outsing each other. What makes us human, aside from the ability to feel love and despair, is our imaginative capability, and this human quality can enable us to forge links with the rest of nature and find a place within the family of things. Proving how life is precious, fragile, and wonderful, even by just paying attention to the little details. The first and second parts of Leaf and the Cloud are featured in The Best American Poetry 1999 and 2000,[10] and her essays appear in Best American Essays 1996, 1998 and 2001. She also lingers to admire the things of the world again. The first part of the poem describes the magic in the movement of a flock of starlings. 133), raising a generation of American kids with her meditation on a grasshopper. Get LitCharts A +. This poem demonstrates Olivers fine eye for detail when it comes to observing nature. Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? For many people, watching birds leap from telephone wires and into the air invokes memories of simpler times, perhaps, standing outside while waiting for the bus or playing with friends as the summers air began to take on the slight chill of autumn. And for whatever reasons, I felt those first important connections, those first experiences being made with the natural world rather than with the social world. ", This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 05:19. ", Graham, Vicki. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 1, Ezra Millers Messiah Delusions: Inside. She confronts as well, steadily, Ostriker continued, what she cannot change. is startled by the sounds of laughter coming from her mouth. Oliver is notoriously reticent about her private life, but it was during this period that she met her long-time partner, Molly Malone Cook. I'd like to receive the free email course. Knowing how to stroll through the fields, kneel down in the grass, and, especially, to be idle is not what comes to mind when considering Harvard M.B.A.s, but many of the essays are quite lovely. Russell, Sue. the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, By Mary Oliver. Reply. Oliver discusses how natures laws and ways prepare people for inevitable hardships and disappointments, such as grief and heartbreak. Rev. In fact, the poet said that to be understood, poetry mustnt be fancy.. Who made the swan, and the black bear? Perfect for snowy days and long nights by the fire. By ignoring the bad advice the strident voices around us provide, and trusting our instinct, because, deep down, we already know what we have to do. We discuss this beautiful poem in more detail here. Source: Poetry (May 2005) Become a Writer Today is reader-supported. Dispatch from the National Association for Poetry Therapys annual conference. McNew, Janet. At the end of this piece, they question how they should have spent their time. wisemagpie. who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. It was published in New and Selected Poems in 1992. Belinda McLeod, BA in Secondary Education.
the summer day mary oliver poetry foundation