A "master of the lyric poem" (Paris Review) at the top of his form writes indelibly of grief and love.
Hardcover
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Summary
A "master of the lyric poem" (Paris Review) at the top of his form writes indelibly of grief and love.
Description
In this moving, playful, and deeply philosophical volume, Gregory Orr seeks innovative ways for the imagination to respond to and create meaning out of painful experiences, while at the same time rejoicing in love and language. A passionate exploration of the forces that shape us, The Last Love Poem I Will Ever Write explores themes of survival and the powerlessness of the self in a chaotic and unfair world, finding hope in the emotions and vitality of poetry. With characteristic meditative lyricism, the poet reflects on grief and the power of language in extended odes ("Ode to Nothing," "Ode to Words") and slips effortlessly from personal trauma ("Song of What Happens") to public catastrophe ("Charlottesville Elegy").
The Last Love Poem I Will Ever Write confirms Orr's place among the preeminent lyric poets of his generation, engaging the deepest existential issues with wisdom and humor and transforming them into celebratory song.
About the Author
Gregory Orr has written twelve poetry collections, a memoir, and several books of criticism, most recently A Primer for Poets and Readers of Poetry. The recipient of Fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, he lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Back Cover
Praise for Gregory Orr"A Walt Whitman without an inch of Whitman's bunting or oratory. Gregory Orr is a gorgeous poet." - Mary Oliver"Gregory Orr's poems have always had the stunning ability to place mindfulness almost instantly back inside the mind." - Naomi Shahib Nye"Gregory Orr is a kind of oracular bard, praising...the enduring capacity of the poetic imagination." - Craig Morgan Teicher, NPR"Orr's graceful lines convey complex ideas about the ability of language to shape how people experience and act in the world...[His] writing feels transcendent. Language shines, shimmers, delights, and rises as high as it can." - Elizabeth Lund, Christian Science Monitor"A reader unfamiliar with Orr's work may be surprised, at first, by the richness of both action and visual detail that his succinct, spare poems convey. Lyricism can erupt in the midst of desolation." - Boston Globe"Ultimately a poetry of emergence from 'the cave of self,' Orr's work moves us along the slender edge between shadow and light, the hidden and revealed, endurance and defeat." - Harvard Review"[Orr's] focus is so unwaveringly aimed toward the transcendent...that we seem to slip into a less cluttered time." - Virginia Quarterly Review
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