LibGuides: Poetry: Media

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Burning Candles: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay (93:00) She was her generation’s Madonna and Bob Dylan rolled into one—and yet, by the 1970s, major poetry anthologies no longer mentioned Edna St. Vincent Millay. She had become a lost poet, her literary status mirroring her untimely death. This program documents the brief yet bright “candle” of Millay’s artistic development, from her early years in Maine to her achievements in the literary world of New York, while exploring her celebrity, sexuality, and personal relationships. Among the many eye-opening locations featured in the film is the house in which Millay spent her final years; its contents have remained untouched since the poet’s death and provide a catalyst for the study of her troubled, exuberant life. Never-before-seen archival images and interviews with Millay scholars also enrich the narrative.
Moyers & Company: The Power Behind Poetry (21:00) In this edition of Moyers & Company, Martín Espada talks to Bill about the power of poetry and reads from his works including “The Poet’s Son Watches His Father Leave for Another Gig,” “The Playboy Calendar and the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám,” and “Blessed Be the Truth-Tellers.” Over the course of their conversation, Espada describes the sacrifices artists—particularly those who are parents—sometimes need to make and what drives him to both poetry and activism.
Series: The Language of Life: A Festival of Poets A companion to Bill Moyers' book The Language of Life: A Festival of Poets, this eight-part series-filmed at the Biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival-crosses the lines of race, gender, and culture to reveal, and revel in, the beauty and power of modern American poetry. Gary Snyder, Robert Bly, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Sekou Sundiata, Marilyn Chin, Daisy Zamora, and 11 other prominent poets join Moyers to discuss some of their most significant works-and the life experiences that prompted them. An outstanding multicultural literary resource. 8-part series, 58 minutes each.
Simon Schama's John Donne (58:00) For Columbia University’s Simon Schama, John Donne is the poet who transformed English verse through a raw emotional honesty coupled with a virtuosic skill with language. Drawing upon the observations of John Carey, literary critic and author of John Donne: Life, Mind, and Art, and insightful readings by actress Fiona Shaw, Schama undertakes a passionate appraisal of Donne’s work. Simon Schama’s John Donne vividly brings to life the brilliant and ambitious poet, his ardent writings, and his turbulent times. “To His Mistress Going to Bed,” “The Canonization,” “The Good-Morrow,” and “Holy Sonnet XIV” are given particular attention. A BBC Production.
TEDTalks: Sarah Kay—If I Should Have a Daughter (18:00) “If I should have a daughter, instead of Mom, she’ gonna call me Point B…” began spoken-word poet Sarah Kay in a talk that inspired two standing ovations at TED2011. She tells the story of her metamorphosis—from a wide-eyed teenager soaking in verse at New York’s Bowery Poetry Club to a teacher connecting kids with the power of self-expression through Project V.O.I.C.E.—and gives two breathtaking performances of “B” and “Hiroshima.”