Timothy Donnelly joins to analyze Yusef Komunyakaa's 'Fortress', exploring occult meanings and musicality. They discuss themes of protection, forgiveness, and family dynamics in the poem, revealing hidden mysteries. The episode also touches on upcoming events, the creative process of writing poetry, and the joy of embodying varied perspectives in creative writing.

Is the light a comfort and the night disturbing? Yusef Komunyakaa explores the life and brilliance of what’s in shadow and darkness.Yusef Komunyakaa was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The son of a carpenter, Komunyakaa has said that he was first alerted to the power of language through his grandparents, who were church people: “the sound of the Old Testament informed the cadences of their speech,” Komunyakaa has stated. “It was my first introduction to poetry.” He has taught at numerous institutions including University of New Orleans, Indiana University, and Princeton University. He is a senior faculty member in the NYU Creative Writing Program.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.We’re pleased to offer Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem, and invite you to sign up here for the latest from Poetry Unbound.

Yusef Komunyakaa reads Marilyn Hacker's poem 'Names' and his own work, exploring themes of absence in poetry and the influence of early 20th-century poets like the Imagists. The discussion with Paul Muldoon delves into poetic craft, storytelling voices, and the significance of names in evoking emotions.