Farewell, Mr. Snodgrass

Back in the day when I fancied myself a poetry critic, I wrote several articles on the poetry of W.D. Snodgrass, who died this week at age 81. He struck me then – and now – as one of the very best American poets, and I feel that American letters is much diminished with his passing from the scene.

Rather than natter on at length, I’d like to include below one of my favorite poems written by Snodgrass, one not often anthologized, but one that I think captures some of his strengths as a poet. It is from his first book, Heart’s Needle, which won the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.