MacArthur Award-winning poet and critic Edward Hirsch considers how five 19th- and 20-century poets treat luminous moments and visionary experiences. It is “Within a Moment: a Pulsation of the Artery,” William Blake writes, “when the Poets Work is Done.” Such unexpected breakthroughs—sudden and revelatory—arise out of commonplace experiences. How do different poets dramatize epiphanies that rupture time? And how do they integrate them into consciousness?

30 Poems: Close Readings
This spring, Poets House continues with a year-long exploration of 30 poems that have left an indelible mark on the history of poetry: six poets provide close readings of five enduring poems (6 x 5 = 30).