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POEt’s Corner

Deep in the pits of 2020, I started sending poems to my friends as little encouragements and pick-me-ups. Times were hard, and I had poems in my proverbial back pocket ready to email out in moments of need. I wasn’t sure what response my unsolicited poems would garner, and I was surprised when friends started writing back to ask, “I love it, but what does it mean?” What started as small moments of outreach turned into mini explications— it turns out that people were hungry for poetry but unsure of where to start, afraid to venture into the unknown, or too intimidated by the form to embrace the content. Those personal exchanges where I explained the poems blossomed into a semi-weekly newsletter, and POEt’s Corner was born.

POEt’s Corner is a safe place for all kinds of poetry lovers, from those who are just dipping their toes in the cool waters to those who are poets in their own right. Every week or so, I sent an email that included a poem and a brief breakdown describing the form, content, and meaning, as well as a few reflection questions. I did my best to explain any jargon and include important context, but this was not an academic project. My goal was to help my subscribers enjoy poems to their fullest ability and interact with the form in a meaningful and affirming way.

Think of it like this: every week, I offered a delicious bite of poetry and singled out the important tasting notes, explained the process, and endeavored to describe why it’s so flavorsome.

POEt’s Corner has been on hiatus since mid 2021, but click here to read the archives.