Whirled Through a Poem’s Eye

Brief essays on poetry: considering a poem and how it reveals the world and the human experience. Find the text of the poems featured and the podcast script on MarilynOnaRoll.wordpress.com.

Listen on:

Episodes

Feb 17, 2026

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson's "the failure of melting": Whirled Through a Poem's Eye

Feb 17, 2026

4 min

Native tales from this First Nation poet.

Feb 17, 2026

4 min

Feb 9, 2026

Jennifer K. Sweeney's "Slowing the River": Whirled Through a Poem's Eye

Feb 9, 2026

5 min

The string of impacts in this ecological poem.

Feb 9, 2026

5 min

Jan 27, 2026

Basho: Whirled Through a Poem's Eye

Jan 27, 2026

2 min

No escaping the monkey self in this poem by Basho, translated by Blyth.

Jan 27, 2026

2 min

Jan 20, 2026

Ted Mathys's "Fluencies": Whirled Through a Poem's Eye

Jan 20, 2026

5 min

Confusions and clarifications with a poem by Ted Mathys.

Jan 20, 2026

5 min

Jan 13, 2026

Kathleen Lynch's "Why I Love Oysters": Whirled Through a Poem's Eye

Jan 13, 2026

3 min

An earthy appreciation of dining on this sea creature.

Jan 13, 2026

3 min

Jan 6, 2026

Another sneak peek into Always With the Questions!: One Poet's Writing Manual

Jan 6, 2026

3 min

Guide and companion on the lonely road: Always With the Questions!: One Poet's Writing Manual.

Jan 6, 2026

3 min

Dec 30, 2025

Carol Graser's "In Congress Park on a Lunch Break from a Job in Retail": Whirled Through a Poem's Eye

Dec 30, 2025

4 min

The calming advice of random wildflowers in this poem by Carol Graser.

Dec 30, 2025

4 min

Dec 23, 2025

Peter Gizzi's "Inness": Whirled Through a Poem's Eye

Dec 23, 2025

3 min

Beauty in the eye and a painting by George Inness in this poem by Peter Gizzi.

Dec 23, 2025

3 min

Dec 16, 2025

Barbara Tomash's "to begin and end in the garden, slapping mosquitos, reading her book": Whirled Through a Poem's Eye

Dec 16, 2025

9 min

Glory and the mundane in this Barbara Tomash poem.

Dec 16, 2025

9 min

Dec 9, 2025

Mark Doty's "Little George": Whirled Through a Poem's Eye

Dec 9, 2025

5 min

Vain attempts to control the uncontrollable, barking into the void with this Mark Doty poem.

Dec 9, 2025

5 min

Whirled Through a Poem's Eye

Poetry can be a lens through which our perspective on the world, on life, is sharpened. Poetry can startle, reveal, question, confirm. Each podcast will use one poem through which to view the world anew.