Lines of Defense: Poems

How did I not know this remarkable Pulitzer Prize–winning poet? This is a wonderful collection that will have you memorizing lines and sending copies to your friends. Dunn’s poem “Nothing to Hold Onto” is a beautiful homage to a young person starting out in life. He cautions that because one has been deeply loved, one doesn’t have the defenses of the unloved. Dunn is so truly original and wonderful, something all good poets have in common. The first poem in the volume, “It Was a Time” hearkens back to one’s salad days of youthful rebellion and resistance, only to end with “we became people we only occasionally knew.” Each and every poem is a gem and—if you’re like me—you will seek out more of this exceptional poet’s work. Stephen Dunn has fortunately written sixteen books. He is clearly a master at his craft and I look forward to reading more of his poems and delighting in his great take on life and aging. Or as poet laureate Billy Collins says, “These are smart, forceful, meticulously spoken poems that tell us some vital truths about how to conduct our lives.”