An Avenue to Tracy K. Smith

"My Morning Glory" by Samhita Kashyap The chirping birds coax me to sleep For not the first nor the last time. With the silent rising comes the awakening. The crack in the blinds lets in  The slimmest stripes of a fuchsia sunrise. Out the window lies the flimsy arbor Supporting vines and budding deep purple bulbs. Tendrils of fear pervades my thoughts As I become unsafe in a reality That exists in my mind. State of mind Dictates the world where feet in the earth Instead stand on hot pebbles.  Where do I go if not a path Of stone slabs dug in clay. Found in the purples and pink skies Streaked with gray lies the future, an afterglow.  A frightening horizon to reluctantly face I wrap myself in sincere smiles  Of hypothetical happiness. Maybe it could be real. “A picture,” she says, “My morning glory in front of my morning glories.”  _____________________________________________________________________________________ "No, Not Really." by Stella Risinger  Am I ...

This week, listen to five poems from the early sections of Tracy K. Smith's Pulitzer-Prize winning book of poetry, "Life on Mars." Sci-Fi The Museum of Obsolescence Cathedral Kitsch At Some Point, They'll Want to Know What It Was Like It & Co.

Welcome to the first poetry workshop! In this series, you will be introduced to a myriad of poetic techniques and styles and discover how Tracy K. Smith in particular employs such tools in her own writing. Today, let’s dive into Smith’s intentional and masterful use of similes. What is a simile? I bet that most of you have heard of a simile and know the general gist of what a simile is. But for those who are unfamiliar with the term, a simile (according to the Merriam-Webster definition), is “a figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as .” How does this connect to poetry? A simile is a very common poetic device, and the same exact definition of a simile from above holds true when similes are employed in poems. But the very purpose of similes in poems is necessary to understand. In poetry in particular, similes are intentionally used as tools to help describe one thing, idea, or concept by comparing it to another, more widely known thing, idea o...

 This week, listen to readings of three of Tracy K. Smith's poems from Duende .  Astral: To Burn with a Low Blue Flame: Slow Burn:

 Use this link to watch a video detailing Tracy K. Smith's professional life and career! Tracy K. Smith's Professional Life and Career

  Watch this video to learn more about the early life of Tracy K. Smith!

  Night Letters: Inspired by Tracy K. Smith's Night Letters by Emma Levinbook           Monday  I turn to feel the heat of your breath Grazing my neck. Its steadiness, its gentle gust Alive like a flickering flame  Immune to the wind. I reach out for you, For the sharp touch of your shoulder blades, Hoping to be illuminated  By the spark that came alive when we first met And lured me to you Every late-night drive through the solitary streets of your hometown, Every Sunday afternoon in the park with your fingers intertwined with mine, Every coffee cup at the crack of dawn as I begged you to hold me for one minute longer. I search for the weight of your body, Expecting it to be tucked next to mine. For the curve of my hips  To fit into the space the edges of your frame create, As if I were the missing corner piece of your body’s intricate puzzle, As if God designed us high in the clouds And gently placed us back into Earth’s sanctuary...