Dive into a delightful exploration of tween parenting, where the dynamics of independence and dependency reveal the beauty of family connections. Discover the enchanting imagery of nature, as a mother and her children witness the majestic herons in a secluded water district. This discussion weaves together the joys of shared experiences and the fresh perspectives that childhood brings, inviting listeners to appreciate the complexities of both nature and familial love.
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insights INSIGHT
Observing Nature
Danielle Chapman's poem depicts a heron family and a human family observing them.
It explores themes of tension, growth, and the complexities of parenting.
insights INSIGHT
Language of Wonder
Chapman masterfully uses vivid imagery and descriptive language to portray the herons.
Her word choices evoke wonder and highlight the strangeness and magnificence of nature.
insights INSIGHT
Incomprehensible Flights
The poem explores the theme of "incomprehensible flights," referring to both the herons and the parent.
It suggests that observing nature can help us understand our own complexities and relationships.
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Wonder and strangeness commingle with the commonplace and universal in Danielle Chapman’s “Trespassing with Tweens.” In a not-quite mirroring, a human mother and her children stand and watch together in awe as a great blue heron flaps in and feeds its two offspring. The pleasures found here are profound and multiple – the joys in seeing, in sharing an experience of seeing, in seeing with fresh eyes, and in being seen.
Danielle Chapman is a poet, essayist, and lecturer in English at Yale University. Her most recent collection of poetry, Boxed Juice, was published in 2024 by Unbounded Edition Press. Her previous collection of poems, Delinquent Palaces, was published by Northwestern University Press in 2015, and her memoir, Holler: A Poet Among Patriots, was released by Unbound Edition Press in 2023. For several years, Chapman served as the Director of Literary Arts and Events for the City of Chicago, and she was also an editor at Poetry Magazine. She currently teaches Shakespeare and creative writing and lives in Hamden, Connecticut, with her family.
Poetry Unbound 
