Kate Baer and Ellen Bass discuss the emotional complexity of everyday life in Bass' poem 'The Morning After' and explore themes of enduring love and everyday relationships. They also delve into gender dynamics, erasure poetry evolution, and recommend exploring more poetry on The New Yorker platform.
Ellen Bass's 'The Morning After' captures the beauty in mundane moments and elevates them through poetic language.
Kate Baer's 'Mix Up' creatively challenges gender stereotypes in the workplace using erasure poetry technique.
Deep dives
Enjoying the mundane: Finding beauty in everyday moments
The first poem discussed is 'The Morning After' by Ellen Bass, chosen by poet Kate Baer for its intimate portrayal of everyday life. Baer highlights the poem's ability to capture the essence of a mundane morning moment and elevate it into something significant through poetic language. The poem reflects on the contrast between the ordinary morning tasks and the profound connection experienced the night before, showcasing the poet's ability to find beauty in the ordinary.
Exploring relationships through poetic lens
Baer's selection of 'The Morning After' prompts a discussion on the nuances of long-term relationships portrayed in poetry. The poem delves into the tension between everyday routines and profound intimacy, depicting the struggle to balance the ordinary with the extraordinary within a relationship. Through poetic exploration, the poem captures the complexity and depth of human connections, offering insights into how love and desire intertwine in the fabric of daily life.
The power of playful language in poetry
The discussion extends to Baer's own poem 'Mix Up', where she uses a playful and inventive approach to highlight gender dynamics in the workplace. Baer's erasure poetry technique cleverly reflects societal norms and challenges gender stereotypes through creative language manipulation. By blending humor with social commentary, Baer crafts a unique perspective on gender roles and everyday interactions, showcasing the power of poetry to shed light on societal issues with wit and creativity.
Kate Baer joins Kevin Young to read “The Morning After,” by Ellen Bass, and her own poem “Mixup.” Baer is the New York Timesbestselling author of three poetry collections, including, most recently “And Yet.”