Using the new year as our excuse, each of the six class sessions will take a close look at one or two poems published in the week of 2019 immediately preceding class and one or two poems published in one of the previous six centuries, beginning with 1419. The contemporary poems will be chosen from the Academy of American Poets’ website, poets.org, which posts a brand-new poem from a contemporary poet each weekday. A small booklet created by Patricia and purchased by students at cost will provide the poems from the preceding centuries, beginning with a set of Byzantine Judeo-Greek wedding poems from a manuscript dated to 1419, and concluding with “The Second Coming”, written 100 years ago by W.B. Yeats in 1919.

Classes will be based on discussion of the poetry at hand, looking for both an intellectual understanding and a connection with the heart of the poem. Each contribution will be listened to carefully and respected, but the conversation may become lively as people explore the poems and disagree (or agree vehemently) with each other. Life experience is what qualifies you to read a poem, not an academic degree; all readers, including non-poetry lovers, are welcome in this class.