Two Poems About Butter

Today’s poem employs an image worthy of Homer to touch the stark reality of a mother’s intuition. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe 

Today’s poem is a selection from the Old English, Beowulf, translated by R. M. Liuzza. In these lines, Beowulf prepares for a harrowing showdown with Grendel’s mother, and the cold, clear beauty of the lines almost makes you wish you were there. Happy reading. This is a public ep ... Show More

Today’s poem answers the question: if cats are the animal world’s “Napoleon of crime,” who is the cat world’s “Napoleon of crime?” Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.sub ... Show More

<p>Today’s poem is Echo by Christina Rossetti. </p><br/><p>The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem calls back to a deceased beloved, to return to this side of existence, to traverse the layers of time — an incantation that wishes to ... Show More

<p>Today’s poem is Second Paradise by Chard deNiord. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. </p><br/><p>In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s shrewd poem ardently shows how time shreds memories into a dreamlike sequence of events, yet we are preserved in our stories.” </p><b ... Show More

<p>Today’s poem is Ode to Bones by Lynne Thompson. </p><br/><p>The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. We’re taking a break this week, so we’re sharing some of our favorite episodes from the archive. We’ll be back with new episodes on January 6, 2025. This episode was originall ... Show More

A haunting, haunted poem for us today: Beci Carver joins the podcast to discuss Thomas Hardy's poem for his late wife, "The Voice."Beci is a lecturer in 20th-century literature at University of Exeter and the author of Granular Modernism (Oxford UP, 2014). Her articles have appea ... Show More