U.S. Poet Laureate Louise Glück read some of her award-winning poetry Tuesday night to more than 200 Boston University students, faculty and community members in the Stone Science Building.
The event, sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program and the Core Curriculum, needed to be moved to a larger room to accommodate the unexpectedly large audience.
During the event, Glück recited a new poem, “Prism,” for the first time. “Prism,” a 20-stanza poem, employed her characteristic separation of stanzas. Each separation divulged aspects of life such as childhood memories and her mother.
The crowd chuckled when she read, “My mother stated wisdom: ‘Marry someone like your father,’ another, ‘There is no one like your father.'”
Glück said her poetry draws from her life experience, such as one of her earlier works – “Memoir” – which recalls her youth.
Later, she recited “Humidifier,” a short tribute to BU professor and former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky’s poetry that focuses on domestic objects.
She closed with two melancholy, unpublished works, “Landscape” and “October,” which conveyed deep inward views on life and death and the common experience of humanity.
“[What] stirs me the most is the natural world,” Glück said.
She said she also believes it is important to, “write about what is profound, but not at the moment at which is it profound.”
CAS English professor Bonnie Costello, who arranged the event, said she approached Glück before she was announced as the 2004 Poet Laureate.
“[Glück] is, of course, swamped with requests now that she has been named Poet Laureate, so I am especially pleased that she can do this reading,” she said.
Costello said BU has had a “long tradition of excellence in contemporary poetry,” including Pinsky, University Professors Program professor and award-winning poet Rosanna Warren and Creative Writing instructor David Ferry.
Pinsky, who was Poet Laureate for four years, introduced Glück’s work as “quality unmistakable that has no name.” He added that Glück writes “great poetry that achieves incorporation” including, “notes of intellection and sensation joined in one chord.”
Many students that attended the event, such as CAS sophomore Brendan O’Bryan, said they were stunned by Glück’s reading.
O’Bryan said he felt seeing the Poet Laureate was a “good opportunity to see a really important person speak.”
“Anytime an important person comes to BU, I try to go,” he said.
O’Bryan said he had not heard of Glück’s poetry before he learned of the event through the Honors program.
But CAS senior Sally Cosel said before the event that she has enjoyed Glück’s work for some time.
“I’m really excited,” Cosel said. “She’s been my favorite poet for years.”
When Glück had finished, Cosel said she could not find the words to describe the experience.
Former BU student Emily Gallagher said a friend who is an instructor in BU’s School of Medicine dragged her to the reading. Before the reading, Gallagher said, “I’m not huge fan of poetry.” But after, she said she was “so glad my friend dragged me here.”
“I loved it,” she said. “It’s like a whole ‘nother world.”
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