An unnatural act...

From the new works by Elizabeth Bishop:

Writing poetry is an unnatural act. It takes great skill to make it seem natural. Most of the poet’s energies are really directed towards this goal: to convince himself (perhaps, with luck, eventually some readers) that what he’s up to and what he’s saying is really an inevitable only natural way of behaving under the circumstances.

After considering Bishop’s philosophy, turn back to her works—“The Moose,” “Crusoe in England,” “Santarém”—and you will notice the source of her poetic legacy. She makes the everyday appear as though it were a miracle.

For me, there is no greater poet.

Reading this new collection of drafts and fragments—Edgar Allan Poe & the Juke-Box—gives me more of Bishop’s wonder to explore.

The sixteen drafts of “One Art,” alone, is more than worth the price of admission.

Beautiful.