George Oppen

To The Poets: To Make Much Of The World

of that passion that light within

and without     no need

 

of lamps in daylight writing year

after

year the poem

 

discovered

 

in the crystal

center of the rock       image

and image         the transparent

 

present tho we speak of the abyss

of the hungry we see their feet their tired

 

feet in the news and the mountain and valley

and sea as universal

 

storm the fathers said we are old

we are shrivelled

 

come

 

 

      To the shining of rails in the night

the shining way the way away from home

arrow in the air

hat-brim fluttered in wind as she ran

forward and it seemed to me so beautiful

the sun lit air it was no dream all’s wild

out there as we         unlikey

image of love found the way

away from home

George Oppen

 George  Oppen

(1908 - 1984)  George Oppen published seven poetry collections in his lifetime, with two additional collections appearing posthumously.  Most notable amoing his publications is, Of Being Numerous (1968) which won the Pullitzer Prize.  Oppen is best known, however, for his involvement with the Objectivists, and his founding, with Louis Zukofsky and Charles Reznikoff, of Objectivist Press.


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