Poetry Off the Shelf cover image

Poetry Off the Shelf

What Love Can Be

Apr 1, 2025
Keetje Kuipers, a celebrated poet known for her exploration of love and family, shares her journey of becoming a single mother by choice. She dives into the intricacies of love, discussing parenting's challenges and the emotional depth of her experiences. Kuipers reveals how the unpredictability of life shapes poetry and reflects on solitude and self-discovery. With vivid anecdotes, she challenges societal norms about family while embracing risk and the transformative power of writing in understanding love's complexities.
59:01

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Morgan Parker argues that societal challenges diminish our capacity for love, reflecting a broader crisis in contemporary poetry.
  • Keetje Kuipers highlights the complexities of familial love and the evolution of intimacy amidst the realities of motherhood and partnership.

Deep dives

The Decline of Love Poems

Contemporary poetry often lacks love poems, a phenomenon discussed in an essay by poet Morgan Parker. She argues that societal issues lead to a diminished capacity for love, noting that we struggle to love ourselves, each other, and even the world around us. The pervasive fear and hatred within society create an environment that is not conducive to expressions of love through poetry. Despite this bleak outlook, the podcast suggests that love poems have been written throughout history, even during tumultuous times, invoking examples like Rumi, who continued to create beautiful work amidst conflict.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode