Advice to My Son

Among Peter Meinke’s most anthologized poems, “Advice to My Son” is best known for its humorous, ironic tone and contemporary interpretation of traditional rhyme structure. First published in 1964 in The Antioch Review, the poem was anthologized in the volume Liquid Paper: New and Selected Poems (1991), published by the Pittsburgh Press. According to Meinke, he had little idea that the poem would so deeply resonate with readers when he first wrote it as a young father, inspired by a fellow professor’s bountiful garden.

“Advice to My Son” centers around a speaker giving life lessons to his son. Though much of the speaker’s advice is contradictory, it covers the deep existential question of how to fully live while being aware of one’s mortality. The speaker exhorts the son to seize the day since life may suddenly end, yet also thoughtfully plan for a long life. The final stanza ends with the speaker advising the son to serve both bread and wine, symbolizing the importance of striking a balance between necessity and beauty. Critics agree that Meinke’s fearless embrace of formal verse in the poem predate the new formalism movement, thus marking Meinke a trailblazer in his own right.