101 Poems, Number 41

Favorite Poems Throughout My Life

41: “Flying,” in New Yorker (8/31/2009), by Richard Wilbur (1921–2017)

The more of Wilbur that I read—

The more of Wilbur that I know—

I realize how much I need

These lines, their very artful flow.

These lines are the most recent ones

I’ve shoved into my stubborn brain.

I’m dazzled how the poem runs—

The playful insight—such a chain

Of rhythm, cleverness, and rhyme—

Of formal challenge (seen and met).

And I am grateful for the time

I’ve had with Wilbur—such a debt!

Link to poem.