Emily Dickinson, Thom Gunn, and Harryette Mullen all offer examples of closely observing the natural world—without needing to travel far at all to do so! This July, take your own staycation, with Poetry in America. As you watch these videos, write down any words or phrases that jump out. What is it about these observations that captures your attention? Note, too, the different forms these poets adopt. How are they organizing their observations?
Then, take one of these forms for a walk—or a look out the window, or into the grass in your own backyard. What do you notice? Write down what you see.
Put away your writing, and revisit it another day. When you bring it out again, recall the observations you made about Mullen, Gunn, or Dickinson’s language and organization. Borrow one of their strategies, and apply it to your own writing. Make your poem.
