Walking Toward the Sun

In 1936, twenty-year-old Edward Weismiller became the youngest poet to win the prestigious Yale Series of Younger Poets prize. Today, more than sixty years later, he retains that distinction. Yale University Press here reintroduces Edward Weismiller—now the oldest living Younger Poet—with the publication of his latest book of poetry. Weismiller’s is “a talent that has kept faith with itself and its sources,” says W. S. Merwin, current judge of the Younger Poets Series. In __Walking Toward the Sun,__ youthful lyricism has given way to plainness of speech—even spareness. These poems are honest and unflinching, always striking in their prosody. They will remind some readers of Yeats, for they convey nobility in the face of old age, infirmity, and disappointment. Weismiller sings powerfully about a world of loss, but he is never grim or despairing. The poet in old age remains hopeful, open to possibility, and always aware of beauty in the smallest places. Contents 7 Foreword 9 1 17 A Scene 17 Monster Poem 18 Sunken Forest 19 The Tree in Front of the Old People’s Home 20 Tales Out of School 21 The boy 22 Quail 23 After the rain 24 The Trees 25 Pacific Midnight 27 The Water Gardens 28 Bay Island 29 Carolina Beach 30 Roulette 32 2 35 Short History 35 An Early Conversation 36 The Metamorphoses 37 A Beached Whale 38 Onegin 39 Dialogue of the Dead 41 A Field on Delos 42 A Girl 43 Sea Horse 44 Houses 45 Letter Found Blown Against a Fence 46 “—So Full of Sleep—” 47 Armida 49 Love that twisted vine 50 One-Sided Conversation with Henry 51 Private Services 52 A Fairly Common Story 53 Poem 54 3 59 Moving 59 The wrong music 60 City Limits 61 How should I think long 63 Thought; Song; Speech; Silence 64 Aubade 68 One-Sided Conversation #—— 69 Song Under My Breath 70 Realizations 71 The Soliloquies 72 Sitting too high in the house 73 Like animals, we grow 74 The Flowers 75 This Spring: for Luverne 76 Because There Is Time 77 Walking Toward the Sun 78

In 1936, twenty-year-old Edward Weismiller became the youngest poet to win the prestigious Yale Series of Younger Poets prize. Today, more than sixty years later, he retains that distinction. Yale University Press here reintroduces Edward Weismiller - now the oldest living Younger Poet - with the publication of his latest book of poetry. Weismiller’s is "a talent that has kept faith with itself and its sources," says W. S. Merwin, current judge of the Younger Poets Series.

In Walking Toward the Sun, youthful lyricism has given way to plainness of speech - even spareness. These poems are honest and unflinching, always striking in their prosody. They will remind some readers of Yeats, for they convey nobility in the face of old age, infirmity, and disappointment. Weismiller sings powerfully about a world of loss, but he is never grim or despairing. The poet in old age remains hopeful, open to possibility, and always aware of beauty in the smallest places.

In 1936, 20-year-old Edward Weismiller became the youngest poet to win the prestigious "Yale Series of Younger Poets" prize. In this collection of poems, his youthful lyricism has given way to plainness of speech - even spareness. These poems are honest and unflinching, always striking in their prosody. They may remind some readers of Yeats, for they convey nobility in the face of old age, infirmity and disappointment. Weismiller sings powerfully about a world of loss, but he is never grim or despairing. The poet in old age remains hopeful, open to possibility, and always aware of beauty in the smallest places