May Swenson
Who is May Swenson
Anna Thilda May "May" Swenson (May 28, 1913 – December 4, 1989) was an American poet and playwright. Harold Bloom considered her one of the most important and original poets of the 20th century.The first child of Margaret and Dan Arthur Swenson, she grew up as the eldest of 10 children in a Mormon household where Swedish was spoken regularly and English was a second language. Although her conservative family struggled to accept the fact that she was a lesbian, they remained close throughout her life. Much of her later poetry works were devoted to children (e.g. the collection Iconographs, 1970). She also translated the work of contemporary Swedish poets, including the selected poems of Nobel laureate Tomas Tranströmer.
Personal life
Swenson attended Utah State ...
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May Swenson Poems
- Strawberrying
My hands are murder-red. Many a plump head
drops on the heap in the basket. Or, ripe
to bursting, they might be hearts, matching
the blackbirds's wing-fleck. Gripped to a reed
...
- Feel Me
â??Feel me to do right,â? our father said on his deathbed.
We did not quite knowâ??in fact, not at allâ??what he meant.
His last whisper was spent as through a slot in a wall.
He left us a key, but how did it fit? â??Feel me
...
- Landing On The Moon
When in the mask of night there shone that cut,
we were riddled. A probe reached down
and stroked some nerve in us,
as if the glint from a wizard's eye, of silver,
...
- Fountains Of Aix
Beards of water
some of them have.
Others are blowing whistles of water.
Faces astonished that constant water
...
- Bleeding
Stop bleeding said the knife
I would if I could said the cut.
Stop bleeding you make me messy with the blood.
I'm sorry said the cut.
...
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May Swenson Quotes
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Comments about May Swenson
- Cole_sportsfan: tales of resilience.
in this week’s coleumn, i recognize three players, all of whom will be alumni by early may, who stayed with their teams even as they hit rock bottom before climbing back to the top. the three players are ian swenson, isaiah whaley, and tyler polley.
- Coldest_fan: tales of resilience.
in this week’s coleumn, i recognize three players, all of whom will be alumni by early may, who stayed with their teams even as they hit rock bottom before climbing back to the top. the three players are ian swenson, isaiah whaley, and tyler polley.
- Maureenthorson: body my house my horse my hound … “question” by may swenson
- Meg_swenson: if there’s leftovers in the fridge (veal parm, may i add) and they aren’t yours… do you just go for it, or do you ask first?
- Queerlitbot: touching lightly
shoulder and thigh
neither wanting more
neither asking why
may swenson, neither wanting more
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