Born on this day September 7, 1885, Elinor Wylie’s poetry is a rich tapestry of love, tragedy, and redemption. Her work encapsulates the human experience in all its complexities, often using vivid imagery and profound metaphors to convey deep emotional truths. Her collections, Angels & Earthly Creatures and Nets to Catch the Wind, are exemplars of her unique poetic style and insight.
In Angels & Earthly Creatures, Wylie explores the dichotomy between the divine and the mundane, the ethereal and the physical. She delves into themes of love and desire, often expressing them in terms of celestial beings interacting with worldly entities. This juxtaposition serves to highlight the intensity and transcendent quality of these emotions. Yet, Wylie does not shy away from revealing the darker aspects of love. Tragedy frequently permeates her verses, reflecting perhaps her own tumultuous personal life. But even amidst this gloom, she offers glimpses of redemption, suggesting that even in the most dire circumstances, there is potential for healing and growth.
Nets to Catch the Wind is another testament to Wylie’s poetic abilities. Through this collection, she grapples with human vulnerability and our futile attempts to control or capture ephemeral experiences and emotions. The wind in the title serves as a metaphor for these elusive elements of life that we endlessly chase after. But despite the underlying sense of despair, Wylie implies that there is a certain beauty and nobility in our struggles. In essence, she portrays the human condition as one marked by both tragedy and resilience.
In both Angels & Earthly Creatures and Nets to Catch the Wind, Elinor Wylie skillfully intertwines themes of love, tragedy, and redemption. Her poetry resonates with untold stories that reflect our shared human experiences in all their complexity and profundity. Her lyrical exploration of these themes continues to captivate audiences, making her work an enduring contribution to the world of literature.
Pretty Words
Poets make pets of pretty, docile words:
I love smooth words, like gold-enamelled fish
Which circle slowly with a silken swish,
And tender ones, like downy-feathred birds:
Words shy and dappled, deep-eyed deer in herds,
Come to my hand, and playful if I wish,
Or purring softly at a silver dish,
Blue Persian kittens fed on cream and curds.
I love bright words, words up and singing early;
Words that are luminous in the dark, and sing;
Warm lazy words, white cattle under trees;
I love words opalescent, cool, and pearly,
Like midsummer moths, and honied words like bees,
Gilded and sticky, with a little sting.
-Elinor Wylie, Selected Works
Curated by Jennifer
