Luke Gentile
Ada Limón is a prolific poet who has published six poetry books. Her works include The Carrying (winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry) and The Hurting Kind (nominated for the Griffin Poetry Prize), among others. Ada Limón is currently the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States. On May 23, the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters will host Ms. Limón for an in-person event in Madison, Wisconsin. The Chippewa Valley Writers Guild will host a virtual watch party for Ada Limón’s event, Poetry and the Natural World, at 6:00 PM in the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Centennial Hall, room 1704. For more information on the event, please visit this link.
To prepare for the event, I will write about my three favorite Ada Limón poems. The first of which is her poem, “Forsythia.”
Forsythia
The poem opens with beautifully crafted world-building and imagery, followed by using sensory tactics to immerse the reader into the peaceful atmosphere of the poem. This feeling of peace continues as she and her significant other embrace nature, where the poem takes a shift. Ada Limón recalls the name Forsythia and the story behind it. The name connects to her losing a loved one and their last words being, “More Yellow”. Ada Limón reflects on this and connects it to the flower of which this poem is titled, “Forsythia”. Something that may be of interest would be questioning the use of the color yellow and what it symbolizes, which could be answered during the Poetry and the Natural World Q&A event. This poem and the following Ada Limón poems will be linked under each summary.
Sundown and All the Damage Done
The next Ada Limón poem is “Sundown and All the Damage Done”. Much like “Forsythia,” Ada Limón starts the poem with stunning imagery and sensory tactics, which she utilizes to create a stunning, almost familiar atmosphere. She then introduces the magnolia tree, marking a shift in tone as she continues to write about life and death; specifically, how long individuals have on earth and the “strange contentment to this countdown.” This piece serves as a reminder to enjoy your life and to spend your time on earth doing what you love. Ada Limón wonderfully conveys this idea in her poem, and those who are interested in reading her poem should pay attention to the closing sentence and why it ends with a question.
Give Me This
My favorite Ada Limón poem is “Give Me This.” The poem starts with strong imagery which paints a scene and introduces the tone. In a similar fashion, she introduces a groundhog utilizing the sensory tactile touch. The groundhog begins to steal vegetables from the garden, but the scene suddenly shifts to a singular question. I’ve omitted the question to encourage you to read “Give Me This” by clicking on the link below and experiencing it for yourself. Ada Limón ends the poem reflecting on both the question and the groundhog's action to steal to eat. This poem serves as a reminder that we are still connected to Mother Nature and her creatures.
These are just a few of Ada Limón’s poems, which can be found on her website, Ada Limón. If you enjoyed these poems, please join us on May 23 in Centennial Hall, room 1704, on the UW Eau Claire campus for the Poetry and the Natural World virtual watch party.