Vox Populi
A curated webspace for Poetry, Politics, and Nature with over 20,000 daily subscribers and over 8,000 archived posts.
Theodore Roethke: The Waking
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.
We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.
Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me; so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.
This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.
Public Domain
Theodore Roethke (1908 – 1963) was one of the most accomplished and influential poets of his generation, having won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry and the National Book Award for Poetry on two occasions. Roethke was praised by former U.S. Poet Laureate James Dickey as “the greatest poet this country has yet produced.” Roethke was also a respected and influential poetry teacher who taught at the University of Washington for fifteen years.
Discover more from Vox Populi
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
share this:
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
- Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
- More
Related
10 comments on “Theodore Roethke: The Waking”
Leave a reply to lruncim Cancel reply
Information
This entry was posted on March 20, 2024 by Vox Populi in Health and Nutrition, Most Popular, Opinion Leaders, Poetry and tagged The Waking, Theodore Roethke, Villanelle.Shortlink
https://wp.me/p4xqzG-oAgSearch
Search
Blog Stats
- 5,652,425
“What falls away is always. And is near.”
I’ve always loved this villanelle and often use it to introduce the form to students.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not having grown up in the US, I ‘met’ Theodore Roethke as an adult. And this poem – for me – is one that best represents his work. “What falls away is always. And is near.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
“We think by feeling. What is there to know?”
The older I grow, the more deeply these lines resonate!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, this one. Always.
LikeLiked by 3 people
This is one of the first poems I read as a teenager that truly spoke to me. The music, the imagery, the repetition, the fixed form… perfect.
LikeLiked by 2 people
One of my favorite poets to emulate for a few years. This poem captures the heart of Roethke’s style.
Growing up next to the family greenhouse greened his poems from the start. His essays and notebooks are also still worth a read. Thanks for posting this again….
LikeLiked by 2 people
“Great nature has another thing to do” and we hope she will be merciful in spite of our infractions.
The gods sent a poem that has spoken to me since I was in college; now it speaks with even more depth.
LikeLiked by 3 people
This poem was sent out on March 20, 2024, but my wanky web platform sent it out again today December 19. Are the Gods speaking to us?
LikeLiked by 5 people
This poem cannot be broadcast too often. Each time I read it it changes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know exactly what you mean, Gerald.
LikeLike