Poet Stanley Kunitz at 100
Over his lifetime, poet Stanley Kunitz has received a Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award and the National Medal of the Arts. He has also served as the nation's poet laureate... twice. As Kunitz turns 100, independent producer Joe Richman of Radio Diaries visits the poet in Provincetown, Mass.
Kunitz reads from his poem, "The Long Boat."
The Long Boat
When his boat snapped loose
from its mooring, under
the screaking of the gulls,
he tried at first to wave
to his dear ones on shore,
but in the rolling fog
they had already lost their faces.
Too tired even to choose
between jumping and calling,
somehow he felt absolved and free
of his burdens, those mottoes
stamped on his name-tag:
conscience, ambition, and all
that caring.
He was content to lie down
with the family ghosts
in the slop of his cradle,
buffeted by the storm,
endlessly drifting.
Peace! Peace!
To be rocked by the Infinite!
As if it didn't matter
which way was home;
as if he didn't know
he loved the earth so much
he wanted to stay forever.
From The Wild Braid: A Poet Reflects on a Century in the Garden by Stanley Kunitz with Genine Lentine, W.W. Norton & Co., 2005.
9(MDAyNzUwMDI2MDEyNTA3MTU5NzcyNTQyNA004))
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
Stanley Kunitz is regarded as one of America's greatest living poets. Over his lifetime Kunitz has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and the National Medal of the Arts. He has served twice as the nation's poet laureate. Well, today Kunitz turns 100 years old. Independent producer Joe Richman visited him yesterday in Provincetown, Massachusetts. That's where Kunitz spends his summers.
Mr. STANLEY KUNITZ (Poet): This is Stanley Kunitz. I don't want to talk about my health or longevity or whatnot. I think everybody knows I'm not a youngster, and that's all right with me. So I'm going to read a poem called "The Long Boat." The title, I should tell you, alludes to the longboat of the ancient Vikings, on which the body of a fallen hero was pushed out into the open sea for an eternity of drifting.
"The Long Boat." (Reading) When his boat snapped loose from its mooring under the screeching of the gulls, he tried at first to wave to his dear ones onshore. But in the rolling fog, they had already lost their faces. Too tired even to choose between jumping and calling, somehow he felt absolved and free of his burdens, those mottos stamped on his name tag, conscience and vision and all that caring. He was content to lie down with the family ghosts in the slop of his cradle, buffeted by the storm, endlessly drifting. Peace. Peace: to be rocked by the infinite, as if it didn't matter which way was home, as if he didn't know he loved the Earth so much he wanted to stay forever.'
This is Stanley Kunitz speaking.
NORRIS: Poet Stanley Kunitz is 100 years old today. He's spending the day with family and friends at his summer home in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Our story was produced by Joe Richman of Radio Diaries. For the text of the poem "The Long Boat" and more on Stanley Kunitz, please visit our Web site, npr.org.
NORRIS: You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
