The New Yorker: Poetry
Dorothea Lasky Reads Louise Bogan
Sep 20, 2023
Dorothea Lasky, author and poet, joins Kevin Young to read and analyze Louise Bogan's 'Three Songs.' They discuss themes of abandonment, haunting, and the power of psychic thoughts. They also explore the unique ending of poems and the shift in tones and themes. The episode delves into the power of open-ended poetry and the significance of punctuation.
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Quick takeaways
- Dorothea Lasky examines the terrifying aspects of Louise Bogan's poem 'Three Songs' and how Bogan uses language and rhyme to evoke a sense of unease.
- Dorothea Lasky discusses the eerie quality of Louise Bogan's poem 'Three Songs' and the power of rhyme in creating a sense of terror.
Deep dives
Exploring Terrifying Poetry: Analyzing Louise Bogan’s Three Songs
In this podcast episode of The New Yorker Poetry Podcast, Dr. Thea Lasky selects and discusses Louise Bogan's poem 'Three Songs' from The New Yorker Archive. Lasky highlights the terrifying and haunting aspects of the poem, emphasizing the fear, weeping, and internal lack of grounding present in the verses. She explores the idea of psychic power, the eternal pain of being trapped within oneself, and the voice of the self, ghost, or demon. Lasky also reveals the backstory of Bogan's crying fits and the child ghost named Lobelia that haunted her. By reading and analyzing 'Three Songs,' Lasky examines what makes a poem terrifying and how Bogan uses language and rhyme to evoke a sense of unease.
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