
originally published 9/1/2000
Poet and literary critic Dana Gioia, author of Interrogations at Noon, discusses his concerns about the state of contemporary poetry. Gioia argues that “real poetry” satisfies on two levels: that of a “game” of rhythms, tune, form, and language, and that of a spiritual calling which explores the mysteries of existence. In his most recent collection, Gioia’s poems examine the role of language in our lives, staking a claim for a real and sacramental correspondence between language and reality. “To name is to know and remember,” Gioia writes, and he ponders what happens to a society that forgets this — that forgets that words root us in our history and in a reality that can be known. This interview was originally published on Volume 51 of the Journal.
15 minutes
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