Dove, Rita 2009
Every god is lonely, an exile
composed of parts: elk horn,
cloven hoof. Receptacle
for wishes, each god is empty
without us, penitent
raking our yards into windblown piles….
– Rita Dove, “The Breathing, The Endless News”
Read this interview with Rita Dove from Modern American Poetry:
An Interview with Rita Dove by M.W. Thomas
An Interview with Rita Dove by M.W. Thomas RD: The ceremonial duties for the American Poet Laureate are not that onerous or defined. I rarely felt that I was being forced to “popularise” poetry or in any way make it simple or tailored for some kind of ceremonial rite.
What did he do except lie
under a pear tree, wrapped in
a great cloak, and meditate
on the heavenly bodies?
– Rita Dove, “Banneker”
Watch Rita Dove discuss the power of poetry with Bill Moyers:
Rita Dove on the Power of Poetry
Bill welcomes former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove, who this very week received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama. Dove served two terms as Poet Laureate, the youngest and the first African American to be named to that prestigious position.
