Rich McGourty
My wife and I share a subscription to the New York Times (NYT). Recently, she put me on to a NYT feature called "Close Read." In it, art and literature critics help readers see into a poem or work of art at a level of detail that enriches the experience.
I sampled one, a Close Read of Frank O'Hara's poem "Having a Coke with You." The writer, A.O. Scott, pointed out many meaningful aspects of the poem, some of which I had missed. I cannot encourage readers of Poetry Month enough to give this a try. If you have a subscription to NYT, this is a no-brainer.
If you don't have a subscription to the New York Times, no worries. Our first poem this year will be Frank O'Hara's "Having a Coke with You" which you can read using a link to Close Read which I will supply. No subscription required. The Close Read take on the poem divides the screen into two halves. Scroll down the left side to see the critic's observations. When you get to an observation, the relevant part of the poem is on the right side of the screen.
Give it a try. Let me know what you think.
Finally, last week I mentioned how much we welcome comments on the poems. Mostly, this invites you to say what you liked about the poem - a particular phrase, an image, the rhythm of the words, what thoughts the poem prompted for you. Your comment does not need to be long or scholarly. Any reaction will be very much appreciated and will enrich the experience for all. And, if you find someone's comment helpful, please say so, "like it", and add a word of explanation if you have the time.
We start tomorrow.
Rich
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