Everyone on campus knows the custom of painting the cannon. No Jumbo is really caught off guard by the lack of clothes during the "Nighttime Quad Reception," and most undergrads are well aware of the superstitions that surround Bowen Gate. However, there are some campus traditions that remain hidden in obscurity.
One such tradition is that of the Tufts Poets; it began in 1934 with John Holmes, a former professor who carried the title until 1962. Since then, there have been six Tufts Poets, including current Poet and English professor Deborah Digges.
Like Holmes, Tufts Poets are not only artists, but also professors at Tufts University. In memory of Holmes, Tufts has kept alive the tradition of "having well-known and esteemed poets teaching here," said David Rivard, who currently teaches Forms of Poetry and a Creative Writing poetry class.
According to Jo-Ann Michalak, Director of Tisch Library, the Poets pass along "the craft of writing poetry" to the student body.
Going beyond inspiring students to write poems, Holmes was also well connected in the poetry community. "He was always arranging for poets to come and talk," said Michalak. For example, Robert Frost famously spoke at Tufts in 1936 at Holmes' request.
"This is a tradition we are trying to recapture," said Michalak. In an effort to do so, Tisch Library and the English Department have teamed up to sponsor the Second John Holmes Memorial Poetry Reading set to take place today at 4:00 p.m. in Ballou Hall's Coolidge Room.
Richard Wilbur is slated as the guest reader for this event. Described by Rivard as "a major figure in 20th century poetry," Wilbur is a former poet laureate of the United States and has received two Pulitzer Prizes among many other honors.
After an introduction, Wilbur will read for 30 to 40 minutes and take questions from the audience. The bookstore will then sponsor a book signing.
While there is not a set method for selecting guests for the John Holmes Memorial Poetry Readings, Wilbur had a particular appeal for a variety of reasons.
For one thing, the Holmes family, who is very involved with the selection process, included Wilbur on their list of selections. Even more than that, Wilbur actually knew Holmes: They were part of a small poetry group that would get together and look at each other's work.
It was "a great pleasure to know [Holmes] and get his good observations," said Wilbur of his involvement in the group.
Currently, an exhibit in the Tisch lobby entitled, "Richard Wilbur: Poet for All of Us," highlights the connection between the two men with a display of two letters: one from Holmes to Wilbur and one with Wilbur's response.
Also in the exhibit are examples of Wilbur's own work. On the way to study for that dreaded chemistry exam or settle down to write an English term paper, students can stop to read samples of Wilbur's poems and look at some of his work from outside the realm of poetry.
"[Wilbur]...is a prolific poet, but he has written children books [and] lyrics for 'Candide' [and] translated plays into English," said Michalak.
While accomplished in these different areas, Wilbur is best known for being a major figure in the New Criticism poetry movement. This movement "emphasized traditional values in poetry" such as meter and rhyme, explained Rivard, and was "a reaction to modernist poetry and free verse."
Wilbur chooses to describe his work and inspiration in less technical terms. "Sometimes I find some rhymes, sometimes stanzas," he said. "[I write] about anything that has mattered to me."
Many people have high hopes for this year's reading. Michalak says she "hope[s] the readings will educate students." Rivard points out that this is a rare chance to "[get] to hear one of the great American poets of the last 60 years."
Wilbur himself takes a much more modest and simplistic view: "If there are people who like poetry, I'm someone who likes to read poetry...[and] I am looking forward to it."
