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33rd out of 91 books
—
25 voters
Different Hours
by
Stephen Dunn
Winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
A wise and graceful new collection by one of our "major, indispensable poets" (Sidney Lea). The mysteries of Eros and Thanatos, the stubborn endurance of mind and body in the face of diminishment--these are the undercurrents of Stephen Dunn's eleventh volume. "I am interested in exploring the 'different' hours," he says, "not
...morePaperback, 128 pages
Published
January 17th 2002
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 2000)
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So April is National Poetry Month and every year, despite my genetic inability to understand a word of poetry, I try to read some. Who says I'm not a team player? This year, I deliberately looked for a non-dead poet, preferably one who has been showered with awards since I'm unable to discern for myself what is good and what is bad poetry.
So Stephen Dunn's collection, Different Hours, it was. Pulitzer Prize winner, modern, still alive, professor of creative writing....there had to be something I...more
So Stephen Dunn's collection, Different Hours, it was. Pulitzer Prize winner, modern, still alive, professor of creative writing....there had to be something I...more
Totally deserving of the Pulitzer. Sad and universal. "A man finds his shipwrecks/tells himself the necessary stories" or "a prodigious, human gift"
Odysseus' Secret
At first he thought only of home, and Penelope.
But after a few years, like anyone on his own,
he couldn't separate what he'd chosen
from what had chosen him.
Calypso, the Lotus-eaters, Circe;
a man could forget where he lived.
he had a gift for getting in and out of trouble,
a prodigious, human gift. To survive Cyclops
and withstand the Sir...more
Odysseus' Secret
At first he thought only of home, and Penelope.
But after a few years, like anyone on his own,
he couldn't separate what he'd chosen
from what had chosen him.
Calypso, the Lotus-eaters, Circe;
a man could forget where he lived.
he had a gift for getting in and out of trouble,
a prodigious, human gift. To survive Cyclops
and withstand the Sir...more
This is my first full collection of Stephen Dunn's poetry, but not my introduction to him. Four years ago, a childhood friend of my husband-to-be read one of Dunn's poems at our wedding. The idea of choosing readings for such a monumental occasion — if not the event itself, then the long-lived memory of it — had seemed so daunting. And then the right pieces presented themselves, swiftly and softly slipping into my mind, into his as I read them aloud.
Dunn's "A Romance," the first of those pieces,...more
Dunn's "A Romance," the first of those pieces,...more
Because I've read this book over and over for a year back in 2007, and because I've looked for it everywhere. Because I wouldn't have it any other way.
Sixty...more
Stephen Dunn
Because in my family the heart goes first
and hardly anybody makes it out of his fifties,
I think I'll stay up late with a few bandits
of my choice and resist good advice.
I'll invent a secret scroll lost by Egyptians
and reveal its contents: the directions
to your house, recipes for forgiveness.
History says that my ventricles are stone
Stephen Dunn won the Pulitzer Prize for this book, which contains some of his best prose poetry to date. "A Spiritual Woman", "The Same Cold", "John and Mary", and " The Metaphysicians of South Jersey" are my favorites. Dunn tackles the abstract while keeping his diction and syntax grounded. He deals with realism in his poetry, although he occasionally incorporates a little bit of Greek here and there (see also: "Odysseus's Secret").
Different Hours is a nice armchair book that you could enjoy a...more
Different Hours is a nice armchair book that you could enjoy a...more
Apr 07, 2010
Bryant
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone, especially male readers
Recommended to Bryant by:
Lundquist
A Shame the Men Must Come Down
Stephen Dunn’s Different Hours collection contains poignantly priceless insights into the mind of an aging man. Its language is unique and refreshing. Dunn’s mood shifts throughout the story perhaps purposefully highlighting the transience of not just human condition but emotion, desire, and happiness as well.
The result is a written meditative journey full of the passionate sensations and disturbing realizations aging entails. Pleasant at times, sorrowful at othe...more
Stephen Dunn’s Different Hours collection contains poignantly priceless insights into the mind of an aging man. Its language is unique and refreshing. Dunn’s mood shifts throughout the story perhaps purposefully highlighting the transience of not just human condition but emotion, desire, and happiness as well.
The result is a written meditative journey full of the passionate sensations and disturbing realizations aging entails. Pleasant at times, sorrowful at othe...more
"You open your windows to good air
blowing in from who knows where,
which you gulp and deeply inhale
as if you have a death sentence. You have.
All your life, it seems, you've been appealing it.
Night sweats and useless stratagem. Reprieves."
from the opening poem Before the Sun Darkens
I think I resisted poetry for a while because I could ever find poems that resonated with me, that spoke to my experience of life, which has been shaped by my work as a nurse. Once you deal with death so frequen...more
blowing in from who knows where,
which you gulp and deeply inhale
as if you have a death sentence. You have.
All your life, it seems, you've been appealing it.
Night sweats and useless stratagem. Reprieves."
from the opening poem Before the Sun Darkens
I think I resisted poetry for a while because I could ever find poems that resonated with me, that spoke to my experience of life, which has been shaped by my work as a nurse. Once you deal with death so frequen...more
Stephen Dunn, I love you. Different Hours might be, I suppose, Dunn's most famous volume of poetry, as it won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000. It's a bit darker and a bit more somber than I expected, clearly written by a man who is aware of his aging self. He primarily looks back on his own life, at the things he did and did not do, and yet he also looks beyond his own existence to the world and its issues. One of the blurbs in the front of this book calls his word "simultaneously haunting and reassu...more
I just reread this collection and was once again awed. Simply marvelous: clarity, thought-provoking ideas, tasteful yet stunning use of language.
Please check out all of Dunn's recent books: Local Visitations,Everything Else in the World,The Insistence of Beauty. Also see his memoir, Walking Light. This is, in my view, the best poet we have.
Please check out all of Dunn's recent books: Local Visitations,Everything Else in the World,The Insistence of Beauty. Also see his memoir, Walking Light. This is, in my view, the best poet we have.
I am not a enthusiatic reader of poetry. One of my friends in Chicago keeps trying to change my approach and I appreciate that he keeps trying despite all odds. To me, poetry generally is just too much work for so little return. There is too much I just don't get. But I occassionaly read a poem that I get, it says something in intelligible and relevant to me. There are many poems in this collection that do that. I particularly liked, to name a very few, Odesseus's Secret, Nature, and A Post-Mort...more
Ever hate the fact that you've finished a book, that there's no more for your eyes to eat? That's what I've experienced with the last two books of poetry I've read, Mary Karr's Sinners Welcome and this tome.
I must say, I appreciate a poet who's not afraid to give alliteration a solid workout in his stuff. As with a nifty pop hook in indie rock music, alliteration (and some other devices) should be embraced in writing, used well if sparingly.
At 120 pages, this is a rather lengthy poetry book. It'...more
I must say, I appreciate a poet who's not afraid to give alliteration a solid workout in his stuff. As with a nifty pop hook in indie rock music, alliteration (and some other devices) should be embraced in writing, used well if sparingly.
At 120 pages, this is a rather lengthy poetry book. It'...more
Deceptively simple poems that are distillations of everyday life. They show the profound, the ridiculous, and the seminal of our existence; Dunn has a way being a mischievous participant and a cold observer at the same time in his work
This is currently my favorite book of poetry. Another Pulitzer prize winner, Different Hours makes you laugh, makes you contemplate, makes you want to read and write more poetry. Dunn blends clarity and depth in a way that is hard to find. He speaks to so many different areas of life. If you haven't ever really given poetry a chance, pick up this book.
4/16/10
Re-reading this again in honor of National Poetry Month. It scares me how much new beauty I can find in his writing each time I do this. "Irresistible" has always been one of my favorite poems, with the lines:
"Character
on its way toward destiny --
my favorite kind of helplessness."
a perennial favorite. But today I rediscovered "Optimism" and these lines from the title poem:
"I closed my eyes and saw myself
in waves of lucidity, a vanisher
in a long process of vanishing,
of solitary character,...more
Re-reading this again in honor of National Poetry Month. It scares me how much new beauty I can find in his writing each time I do this. "Irresistible" has always been one of my favorite poems, with the lines:
"Character
on its way toward destiny --
my favorite kind of helplessness."
a perennial favorite. But today I rediscovered "Optimism" and these lines from the title poem:
"I closed my eyes and saw myself
in waves of lucidity, a vanisher
in a long process of vanishing,
of solitary character,...more
So many times as I was reading this book, I had moments where I was surprised by truths and fantastic wordings of phrases. This book was a pleasure to read.
FANTASTIC. Accessible but stands up to deeper and repeated readings and analysis. Very existential. At times pure delight, but always thoughtful.
Excellent book of poetry. Dunn captures daily moods and life situations to which many of us can relate.
I liked maybe two poems really well in this collection. The rest are just meh.
How have I never read Stehpen Dunn before? Amazing, beautiful poetry.
some of the poems in here are masterful, others are more masterful.
May 15, 2009
Sarah
added it
Different Hours: Poems by Stephen Dunn (2002)
if you like poetry, this is a must read.
"John and Mary" is a favorite.
One of my favorite poets.
Loved every word.
"You who are one of them, say that I loved/ my companions most of all./ In all sincerity, say that they provided/ a better way to be alone."
Just an amazing end to a book filled with life's little, and sometimes larger, contradictions. Dunn shows us the beauty in their battle, and the oh-so-human need for their reconciliation. No wonder it won the Pulitzer. A stunning exhibit of form and freedom. I'm a happier person having read it.
Just an amazing end to a book filled with life's little, and sometimes larger, contradictions. Dunn shows us the beauty in their battle, and the oh-so-human need for their reconciliation. No wonder it won the Pulitzer. A stunning exhibit of form and freedom. I'm a happier person having read it.
Limber and foggy.
What a wonderful gift :)
This was the poetry book for April, 2013 discussed in the 21st Century Literature Goodreads book club. Since I co-lead the discussion, my comments, and many of the poems in this collection, are posted there.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
Please feel free to join this discussion at any point.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
Please feel free to join this discussion at any point.
Jul 27, 2008
Catamorandi
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes great poetry
Recommended to Catamorandi by:
someone in one of my poetry groups
I love this book. Stephen Dunn is a fantastic poet. He plays with words expertly. Despite the word playing, I understood every poem completely. There were a few words I had to look up in a dictionary, however. There is no doubt in my mind that Stephen Dunn heartily deserved the Pulitzer Prize for this book. It is incredible.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| 21st Century Lite...: * April 2013 - Stephen Dunn's Different Hours | 72 | 27 | Apr 23, 2013 02:20am |
Stephen Dunn was born in New York City in 1939. He earned a B.A. in history and English from Hofstra University, attended the New School Writing Workshops, and finished his M.A. in creative writing at Syracuse University. Dunn has worked as a professional basketball player, an advertising copywriter, and an editor, as well as a professor of creative writing.
Dunn's books of poetry include Everythin...more
More about Stephen Dunn...
Dunn's books of poetry include Everythin...more
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“Altruism is for those
who can't endure their desires.
There's a world
as ambiguous as a moan,
a pleasure moan
our earnest neighbors
might think a crime.
It's where we could live.
I'll say I love you,
Which will lead, of course,
to disappointment,
but those words unsaid
poison every next moment.
I will try to disappoint you
better than anyone else has.
--Mon Semblable”
—
48 people liked it
who can't endure their desires.
There's a world
as ambiguous as a moan,
a pleasure moan
our earnest neighbors
might think a crime.
It's where we could live.
I'll say I love you,
Which will lead, of course,
to disappointment,
but those words unsaid
poison every next moment.
I will try to disappoint you
better than anyone else has.
--Mon Semblable”
“I’ve had it with all stingy-hearted sons of bitches.
A heart is to be spent.”
—
15 people liked it
More quotes…
A heart is to be spent.”
