Today is Poetry at Work Day, a day to value creativity in work and to find poetry in what we do, whatever that may be. A poet who did just that with great success is Philip Levine. Levine, a Pulitzer Prize Winner and the U.S. Poet Laurete from 2011 to 2012, is noted for writing about working-class Detroit.
In this video from PBS, Levine reads some of his poetry beginning with “What Work Is,” and talks about his working life in industrial Detroit.
In the video Levine has this to say of his work in the factories in Detroit and it’s impact on his poetry:
“At the time I hated it, but my attitude changed so remarkably when, at say, my late thirties and early forties, I realized that this world that I thought was going to stop me from writing a poem, writing a decent body of poetry, had in fact become central to my writing poetry. And that revised to a large degree the way I felt about those years. I began to feel I was really in some way very fortunate.”
Where can you find poetry in your daily work and routine? Are there poems that help you in your work? Share your thoughts on poetry and work in the comments.
Here are some of Levine’s books for those looking to explore poetry further:
What Work Is by Philip Levine
This 1991 collection from Levine focuses on labor, class, family and loss. Get a Copy.
Breath by Philip Levine
Here Levine looks back at his life and the lives of his family and ancestors, transporting the read back in time to showcase the America he’s known through the years. Get a Copy.
New Selected Poems by Philip Levine
Selected by Levine, the poems in this collection provide the readers with a broad view of Levine’s best works. Get a Copy.
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