One Page Poetry Circle Archive

Welcome to the One Page Poetry Circle at St. Agnes Branch Library!

Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Time: 5:30 - 6:30 pm
Place: St. Agnes Branch Library, 444 Amsterdam Avenue (near 81st Street), 3rd Floor
Theme: Poetry and Muses (pdf)

Find a poem! Show up! Read a poem! Discuss a poem!

We're back for the twelfth spring season of the One Page Poetry Circle where people gather to examine the works of established poets. While there is no instructor and this is not a workshop for personal writing, once a month OPPC gives everyone a place to become teachers and learners to explore the form, content, language and meaning of poetry. Since the circle began, participants have selected and discussed 1199 poems and have read countless others in pursuit of poetry that speaks to them.

Our theme for March is Poetry and Muses. In Greek mythology the muses were nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who presided over the arts and sciences. Homer begins his epic poem, The Iliad, with an invocation to the Muse: "Sing, Goddess, sing the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus."

In the poetic tradition of Homer and Virgil, Dante Alighieri evokes the nine classical muses early in his epic poem The Divine Comedy: "O Muses, O lofty genius, aid me now!" Later in the poem, Dante calls forth his more earthly muse—a childhood acquaintance, Beatrice Portinari. Employing them all, Dante takes readers through hell, purgatory, and finally heaven.

Although Homer sought Calliope, the Muse of the Epic, to inspire him, and Dante introduced an earthly love, poets today are more likely to be inspired by their world. Anything can act as a muse: people, places, or other poems. Poet Kiki Petrosino has Robert Redford. Allen Ginsberg had Peter Orlovsky, and sometimes Neal Cassady. Poet Paul Legault has the poetry of Emily Dickinson. The word "muse" can also mean to ponder; often it is not inspiration that creates a poem, but the deep thoughts and labor of the author.

We look forward to seeing you on March 10th.

We're looking forward to seeing you for Poetry and Muses at the March 10th One Page Poetry Circle. Whether a poem mentions its inspiration or is about inspiration, bring a poem that inspires you. And if you can, come with copies for others to share. Can't locate a poem you want to bring? Browse the poetry section at the library or check out Poetry Foundation or poets.org.

In the meantime, please blog with us at onepagepoetrycircle.wordpress.com.

Spring 2020 Schedule
March 10, Poetry and Muses
April 14, Poetry and Satire
May 12, Poetry and Joy

Abigail Burnham Bloom and
AnnaLee Wilson

The One Page Poetry Circle is sponsored by the New York Public Library and is open to all. St. Agnes Branch Library is handicap accessible.