On Thursday I shared a few of the poems of Billy Collins, one of my favorite poets. Today a poem from another favorite poet, Mary Oliver. Oliver is the writer of the luminous and inspiring “Summer Day,” and what I like about her poetry is that it always feels honest, like she is sharing...
Poetry as Word, Sound, and Image
posted by DJL
I’m curious what you think. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you probably know that Billy Collins is one of my favorite poets. I love the simplicity of language and imagery, the unpretentiousness of his poems and person, his ability to evoke emotion and insight through succinct use of language, and the reliable good humor he employs (just read To My Favorite 17 Year-Old High School Girl or Litany for stellar examples). In the TED Talk below, he shares a description of an invitation he received to allow some of his poetry to be illustrated in short films. And here’s where my question come: do you think the...
The Star-Spangled Banner
posted by DJL
Two hundred years ago this day and night, attorney Frank Key – known to us today as Francis Scott Key – thought he was witnessing the end of the American dream. Opposed to the brutality of war and regarding the U. S. endeavor to take on Great Britain as utter foolishness, Key nevertheless volunteered to be part of an emissary to the British to secure the release of a captive. All went well, except that the British, who had already bombed Washington to pieces and now were intent on destroying Baltimore, felt that Key and his party knew too much about their plans and could not be released. And so Key and his companions were kept aboard...
Gethsemane
posted by DJL
I’ve spent a wonderful week in Iceland with pastors and lay people from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Iceland. We’ve been talking about preaching, a changed and changing culture, and the challenge of shaping a biblical imagination in a culture that is both overwhelmingly and nominally...
William Wallace
posted by DJL
On this date in 1305 the Scottish nationalist and hero William Wallace was executed for treason. Born sometime near 1270, Wallace led Scots in attacking English garrisons after King Edward I declared himself King of Scotland after imprisoning John de Balliol, the Scottish monarch. Though...
Lift Every Voice and Sing
posted by DJL
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is one of those hymns I regularly have a hard time getting through without choking up. Once referred to as the “Negro National Anthen,” it became, along with “We Shall Overcome,” a signature song of protest and hope during the Civil Rights Movement. And while the challenges faced by African-Americans are not my direct experience as a white male who has enjoyed significant privilege, I find the mixture of pain and hope, adversity and courage described so incredibly moving and always feel drawn closer to the causes of justice and civil rights when I sing it. It was written originally as a poem by...