James Wright Poems

James Wright was an American poet whose first collection, The Green Wall, was published in 1956. It was awarded the Yale Younger Poets Prize, an incredible accomplishment. He was influenced by the Spanish surrealists and often experimented with meter. His writing set him apart from his more popular contemporaries in the New York Schools and among the Beat poets.

A Blessing

by James Wright

‘A Blessing’ by James Wright describes Wright traveling with his friend and fellow poet Robert Bly and a moment where the two pulled off the highway to admire horses, just like in the text of the poem.

Complaint

by James Wright

‘Complaint’ is one of the early poems of James Wright with a conventional form and meter. This poem is about a rural folk’s dissatisfaction with her dead wife’s absence.

Northern Pike

by James Wright

‘Northern Pike’ by James Wright is a beautiful poem written from the perspective of a man on a fishing trip.

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