The Bagel

“Sunday at the State Hospital” by David Ignatow (1961)

This is a widely anthologized autobiographical poem about Ignatow’s relationship with his schizophrenic son. In the poem, the speaker visits a loved one in a state hospital, bringing a sandwich the loved one cannot eat. The speaker eats his own sandwich, which “tastes mad” (Line 10), and grapples with the past bumping against the present. This poem is a gut-wrenching depiction of what it is like to have a loved one with severe mental illness. Like “The Bagel,” it features short lines and colloquial language as well as an image of food standing in for an emotional state.

“For My Daughter“ by David Ignatow (1970)

This is another widely shared autographical poem about a child-father relationship. Here, an aging father hopes his daughter will name a star in the sky for him after his death. This way he can “shine / down” (Lines 12-13) on her until her own death. As usual with Ignatow, there is a straightforward tone in his style, yet a remarkable universal longing for continued connection.

“Information“ by David Ignatow (1975)

This is an excellent example of Ignatow’s prose poetry. The prose poem uses poetic techniques such as alliteration and imagery but is written without line breaks, appearing as a single, short paragraph. Here, Ignatow discusses the infinite by drawing comparisons with counting leaves, stars, and the hairs of one’s head. This poem relies on Ignatow’s conversational style and sense of humor.