The Concise Verse

Recent Episodes

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Aug. 23, 2026

"Taking Leave of a Friend" by Ezra Pound

Blue mountains to the north of the walls, White river winding about them; Here we must make separation And go out through a thousand miles of dead grass. Mind like a floating wide cloud, Sunset like the parting of old acquaintances Who bow over their clasped hands at a distance. Our horses neigh to each other as we are departing.
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Aug. 16, 2026

"El Hombre" by William Carlos Williams

It’s a strange courage you give me ancient star: Shine alone in the sunrise toward which you lend no part!
46
Aug. 9, 2026

"Epitaph for a Romantic Woman" by Louise Bogan

She has attained the permanence She dreamed of, where old stones lie sunning. Untended stalks blow over her Even and swift, like young men running. Always in the heart she loved Others had lived,—she heard their laughter. She lies where none has lain before, Where certainly none will follow after.
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Aug. 2, 2026

"Prime" by Amy Lowell

YOUR voice is like bells over roofs at dawn When a bird flies And the sky changes to a fresher color. Speak, speak, Beloved. Say little things For my ears to catch And run with them to my heart.
44
July 26, 2026

"Theology" by Paul Laurence Dunbar

There is a heaven, for ever, day by day, The upward longing of my soul doth tell me so. There is a hell, I'm quite as sure; for pray If there were not, where would my neighbours go?
43
July 19, 2026

"The Deep-Sea Pearl" by Edith M. Thomas

The love of my life came not As love unto others is cast; For mine was a secret wound— But the wound grew a pearl, at last. The divers may come and go, The tides, they arise and fall; The pearl in its shell lies sealed, And the Deep Sea covers all.

Recent Blog Posts

Aug. 16, 2026

Solitary Courage: William Carlos Williams's "El Hombre"

First published in 1917 in his third poetry collection, Al Que Quiere! ("To Him Who Wants It!"), "El Hombre" is a striking four-line study in quiet resilience by William Carlos Williams (1883–1963). Williams led an extraordinary double life: by day,…
Aug. 9, 2026

The Quiet Haven: Louise Bogan's "Epitaph for a Romantic Woman"

First published in 1923 in her celebrated debut collection Body of This Death, "Epitaph for a Romantic Woman" is a masterclass in irony and formal precision by Louise Bogan (1897–1970). Bogan was a titan of American letters who went on to serve as t…
Aug. 2, 2026

The Resonance of Intimacy: Amy Lowell's "Prime"

First published in 1922 in American Poetry: A Miscellany, "Prime" is a brilliant display of Imagist technique by Amy Lowell (1874–1925). Lowell was an absolute powerhouse of early 20th-century poetry—loud, unapologetic, and fiercely passionate about…