Modern Poems You Should Know
Sat, Oct 10 · 2:00 PM Georgetown Neighborhood Library
LAST SATURDAY, WE JOURNEYED TO THE GHOSTLY ISLAND OF CIBOUX. JOIN US THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, AT 2:00 PM, FOR A VISIT TO THE GHOSTLY ISLAND OF SANTORINI. Part Two of our three-part poetry lecture series focuses on James Merrill’s extraordinary poem Santorini: Stopping the Leak. These philosophical poems will be explored and discussed by Margaret Soltan, Emerita, George Washington University. Completed last Saturday, October 3: • Cape Breton by Elizabeth Bishop Upcoming: • Santorini: Stopping the Leak by James Merrill • Sunday Morning by Wallace Stevens All three poems reflect a central pursuit common to much of modern secular poetry: they probe the essential mystery of life, searching for meaning by engaging deeply with settings of powerful natural beauty—Cape Breton in Nova Scotia; the volcanic island of Santorini; and a luminous, unnamed mountain landscape. Each poet guides us in reading both the human and natural worlds around us, worlds that sometimes seem almost to speak. We’ll look at each poem’s verbal brilliance as well as the larger metaphysical questions they raise. Sessions continue Saturdays, October 10 and 17, 2026 2:00–3:00 PM Georgetown Neighborhood Library 3260 R St. NW, DC 20007
