Former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove awarded OSU’s 2016 Stone Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement
She put on her glasses and took a sip of water as a full room of students, professors and poetry lovers sat waiting to hear her speak. |
| Rita Dove (photo by Alyssa Campbell) |
On Thursday, April 14, former U.S. Poet Laureate Dove was awarded Oregon State University’s 2016 Stone Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement.
OSU’s Dean of Literary Arts Larry Rodgers kicked off the evening with a short film tha
t he described as “what the essence of Rita Dove has done for our community.”
The film showed students from OSU and surrounding Corvallis high schools creating different works of art inspired by Dove’s poetry.
OSU President Edward Ray had the honor of presenting the award to Dove.
“There’s something about poetry that’s magic,” said Ray. “Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.”
A special announcement was made to guests about Dove’s “Collected Poems 1974-2004,” which isn’t set for release until May.
Norton Publishing Company released dozens of copies to Corvallis` local book store, Grass Roots, especially for this occasion, giving Corvallis first dibs in the country.
"She is a poet that thinks of everyone,” said Rodgers. “Rita Dove’s poems matter.”
Dove began by speaking on the efficiency of literature in response to Robert Pinsky’s essay “Does Poetry Matter?”
She talked about all of the people from different walks of life who sent her mail with suggestions on “how to bring poetry into American culture” when she first became poet laureate in 1993.
“What they wanted was to say they were hungry for what poetry could do for them. They taught me not to apologize for being a poet,” said Dove. “We seem to be starving for communication. We become alienated from our own emotions and are afraid to feel.”
The first poem Dove read was “Geometry.” Joking around with the crowd, Dove admitted she loved math, until it got to geometry.
“I grew up in a family of mathematicians and scientists,” said Dove. “I don’t know where I came from.”
The crowd laughed and listened as Dove continued, swaying side to side as she read.
One poem that stirred the emotions of the audience was “Parsley.”
The poem is based on the Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo, known for the “Parsley Massacre.” In 1937 Trujillo had an estimated 20,000 Haitian immigrants massacred, with hopes to rid the Dominican Republic of “foreigners.”
Soldiers carried parsley and approached anyone they thought to be Haitian. They were asked to pronounce “perejil,” the spanish word for parsley. If they couldn’t pronounce the “r” correctly they were killed.
This particular poem took Dove seven years to write; part two of “Parsley” is called “The Palace.”
“I had to enter into his mind even though I didn’t want to,” said Dove.
Dove also read poems from her book “Thomas and Beulah.”
“‘Thomas and Beulah’ was the book my grandmother made me write,” said Dove. “She was dead by the time I wrote it.”
Dove introduced her poem “Canary” describing it as “if her daughter were to fall in love with a mediocre artist.” At certain parts in the poem laughter carried across the room.
She also read “The Bridge Tower” from her latest poetry book “Sonata Mulattica.” It was about a mixed violin prodigy who was around the same time as Beethoven.
Ending the evening with newer poems, Dove gave credit to her students for the inspiration.
It was an evening that won’t be forgotten by all who attended. Wrapping up the event, the room stood for a round of applause. Dove thanked everyone and prepared for the book signing.
“Laughter is a powerful uniter,” said Dove. “There’s room for everyone under this wonderful canopy of poetry.”
At a glance:
- At 40 years old, Dove was the first African American woman and youngest person to be appointed Poet Laureate of the United States in May 1993.
- Dove graduated from Ohio’s Miami University in 1973 and studied abroad in Germany before returning for her MFA at the University of Iowa.
- Her goal as laureate was "to try to break through the misbegotten notion that poetry is elite and somehow removed from life.”
- She wanted to make poetry more appealing to young people by combining it with other media such as jazz, dance, photography and video.
- During her term she visited schools and hospitals and believed her position was “significant in terms of the message it sends about the diversity of our culture and our literature.”
Comments
Post a Comment