I’m a fan of narrative poems, poems that tell a story. As I see it, that’s how poetry started, with epic poems that had to be memorized to be passed down, as people didn’t have printing presses or ...

Many years ago I heard some marvelous advice from the co-director of the UCLA Writing Project, Jane Hancock, about choosing the right words. She was speaking of prose, but I think it’s extra-good ...

If you think poetry isn't for you, this might be the right time to give it a second chance. Every April in the United States, National Poetry Month invites you to experience and celebrate an art form ...

My guest this week on "Poetry from Daily Life" is Alan Katz, who lives in Milford, Connecticut. Alan says, “I’ve been writing since Miss Gordon showed me the alphabet in kindergarten. But I’ve been a ...

A new anthology highlights the charms and drawbacks of very brief verse. By Elisa Gabbert I remember where I was when I first read two short poems. One, Margaret Atwood’s “You Fit Into Me” (“you fit ...

Love poems are difficult to write and to read because they can be clichéd. This poem surrounds the topic of love versus sinking in it. In the title, love is “an enchantment,” not “my enchantment,” ...

This week’s guest on "Poetry from Daily Life" is Matt Mason, who lives in Omaha, Nebraska. Matt, who was the Nebraska State Poet from 2019-2024, started writing in high school and not long after ...