Join us on Tuesday, March 22 at 6pm PT, via Zoom – no prerequisites, no homework!
“I think of mythology as the homeland of the muses, the inspirers of art, the inspirers of poetry. To see life as a poem and yourself participating in a poem is what the myth does for you.”
Joseph Campbell
Myth and Mystery
Those indestructible heroes and heroines, those terrifying monsters, those epic battles between good and evil – where would be without our myths? It falls to the poets to keep our myths alive, to embellish the stories, to reinvent the sagas for future generations. For the month of March, we’ll revisit some of our shared myths through poetry and explore how poets use mythology to enrich our universal experiences.
In his poem collection, “Map of the New World,” Caribbean poet Derek Walcott examines an ancient map in the first poem with the fearsome notation “Here be Dragons, “and in his second poem imagines the Battle of Troy’s cast of characters as they age and fade. Native American poet and writer Louise Erdich recounts the myth of the Windigo monster who is defeated by a clever child, and Samoan poet Albert Wendt celebrates the creation myth of islands in his poem, “Stepping Stones.” William Butler Yeats alludes to the “face that launched a thousand ships,” in his poem, “No Second Troy,” and also capitalizes on Celtic mythology to create his poem, “The Song of Wandering Aengus.” Poet Anne Sexton recounts the myth of Icarus and his famous fall but with a modern twist of irony in her poem, “To a Friend Whose Work has Come to Triumph.”
Let’s wander those high seas of myth and poetry together–please join us in March!
Check out these resources for additional background…optional, of course.
Mindful Poetry usually meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6pm PT, via Zoom.
Meeting ID: 975 0515 6720 One tap mobile +12532158782,,97505156720# US (Tacoma)
Our Curator and Guide:
Poetry has been a life-long passion and solace for Rebecca Echert-Lennstrom. The beauty and playfulness of verse captured her heart early and became a well-spring of reflection and inspiration. For the last 25 years, she’s been sharing that love with high school students as an English teacher and creative writing instructor, steeped in words and imagery. She’s coached students in the National Poetry Out Loud Competition for ten years, paired with professional poets in the classroom to inspire student writing, and published high school creative writing magazines. This is her second year curating the Mindful Poetry Series as a ministry of the Episcopal Church.