Stanley Kunitz

Stanely Kunitz was the 10th poet laureate of the United States, named as such in the fall of 2000. Throughout his career he won the Robert Frost Medal and the National Book Award. His collections include The Wild Braid: A Poet Reflects on a Century in the Garden and The Wellfleet Whale and Companion Poems.

The Portrait

by Stanley Kunitz

‘The Portrait’ by Stanley Kunitz is a sad poem about the speaker’s ill-fated attempt to learn more about their deceased father.

This might not be the greatest of Kunitz's poems but its personal nature and heavy subject matter make it a powerfully poignant illustration of grief. Drawing on his own experiences to inform the speaker's yearning to fill the void of their father and their run in with the residual anger their mother still holds onto.

The Layers

by Stanley Kunitz

Touch Me

by Stanley Kunitz

‘Touch Me’ by Stanley Kunitz is a moving poem about aging, the loss of identity, and desire. It explores what keeps people, and creatures of all varieties, going as they enter the final “season” of their life.