Poetry

Poetry often seeks to stretch, to transgress, to not just push the envelope but to rip it in half and dance around in its confetti.  From the sexual overtones in Whitman’s “Song of Myself” (In my opinion the greatest long form poem ever written by an American) to the overt homosexuality of Ginsberg’s “Howl,” poets have taken on taboo and controversial subjects.   The mantra of  “If it makes you uncomfortable, it’ll make you think” informs quite a bit about these works.

Kim Addonizio is a poet in that vein.   Read “31 Year Old Lover” and “What Do Women Want?” and in two pages let me know how she violates cultural norms and taboos and by making us uncomfortable makes us think.