®

Today's poem is "Poem"
from The Other Life: Selected Poems of Herbert Scott 1974-2005

Carnegie Mellon University Press

Herbert Scott(1931–2006) was the founding editor of New Issues Poetry & Prose. His books of poetry include Sleeping Woman (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2005), Durations (Louisiana State University Press, 1984), Groceries (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1976), and Disguises (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1974). A limited edition letterpress book, In the Palm of Space, came out from Sutton Hoo Press in 2001. Scott taught at Western Michigan University, where he was the Gwen Frostic Professor of Creative Writing.

Other poems by Herbert Scott in Verse Daily:

Books by Herbert Scott:

About The Other Life: Selected Poems of Herbert Scott 1974-2005 :

"I’m struck by the wide range of Scott’s work, from the stunning complexity and beauty of the long poems, 'Dinosaurs' and 'In the Palm of Space,' to Groceries, the groundbreaking collection of poems about work in a supermarket. Here is a poet who was committed to his own evolution as a writer, regardless of current trends or fashions. These unpretentious poems reflect the vision of someone always listening, always paying attention, looking slightly askew at our absurd, at times heartbreaking world. When Scott writes in the 'we' voice, he is speaking for all of us, and when he takes on the persona of a butcher or an apprentice gravedigger, a minister or an assassin, he does so with empathy and respect. His rich portraits of ordinary men and women are simply unforgettable. These poems sing with their spare, clean lines. They sing with quiet humility and gentle grace. They sing with the music of secular prayer. They bless us all."
—Jim Daniels



Support Verse Daily
Sponsor Verse Daily!

Home  Archives   Web Monthly Features  About Verse Daily   FAQs  Submit to Verse Daily   Publications Noted & Received  

Copyright © 2002-2010 Verse Daily All Rights Reserved