The Bear

“Another Night in Ruins” by Galway Kinnell (1966)

In this poem the speaker is on a walk at evening. He recalls his brother saying you have to “throw yourself [into the bonfire] to make it burn.” He concludes his walk by asking how long it will take to realize that humans are not like the phoenix who rises from ashes but rather like the flame itself. Like “The Bear,” this poem is written as a journey. It meditates on natural powers and man’s connection to the elements.

“Blackberry Eating” by Galway Kinnell (1980)

This is a much shorter poem of Kinnell’s that also explores the human connection with nature. It depicts a man who is eating off the land and ends with a comparison between nature and language. For the poet it is clear that poetry and nature itself are chief sources of nourishment.

“Wait” by Galway Kinnell (1980)

Kinnell has said in interviews that he wrote this poem for a student who was contemplating suicide. It is advice about waiting through suicidal ideation and having hope that you will one day desire to live again. It is one of Kinnell’s most famous poems, and it shows the versatility of his writing abilities and the multi-dimensionality of his themes.