Singing Loudly

Chris Bertram at Crooked Timber alerted me to the recent death of poet, Thom Gunn. Thom Gunn is one of my favorite modern poets. I was introduced to his work by my one of my favorite professors, Rick Bozorth, when I was a Sophomore in college. It wasn't long before I bought Boss Cupid and fell in love with his poetry.

As soon as I read about his death I remembered the last stanza from "My Sad Captains":

True, they are not at rest yet,
but now they are indeed
apart, winnowed from failures,
they withdraw to an orbit
and turn with disinterested
hard energy, like the stars.

Losing Thom Gunn is a both a loss for our world and the poetry community. However, the beauty he has shared with us will live with us for generations to come and hopefully inspire others to become a writer.