ROBERT BLY

1
ROBERT BLY

2
The Life of Robert Bly

• Robert Bly was born on December 23, 1926, in
  Madison, Minnesota.
• Born into parents of Norwegian origin
• He is still living today

3
Background

• Enlisted into the Navy and stayed there for two
  years
• He attended Harvard University. But received his
  degree from the University of Iowa in 1956.
• He is the author of more than thirty books of
  poetry
• Bly has had a profound impact on the shape of
  American poetry

4
Poetry Books

• The Night Abraham Called to the Stars
• Snowbanks North of the House
• Have I Ever Lost by Dying?
• The Light Around the Body

5
POEM S
Early Morning in Your RoomIt's morning. The
brown scoops of coffee, the wasplike Coffee
grinder, the neighbors still asleep. The gray
light as you pour gleaming water-- It seems
you've travelled years to get here. Finally you
deserve a house. If not deserve It, have it no
one can get you out. Misery Had its way, poverty,
no money at least Or maybe it was confusion. But
that's over. Now you have a room. Those
light-hearted books The Anatomy of Melancholy,
Kafka's Letter To His Father, are all here. You
can dance with only one leg, and see the
snowflake falling With only one eye. Even the
blind man Can see. That's what they say. If you
had A sad childhood, so what? When Robert
Burton Said he was melancholy, he meant he was
home.
6
Dawn Some love to watch the sea bushes appearing
at dawn, To see night fall from the goose wings,
and to hear The conversations the night sea has
with the dawn. If we can't find Heaven, there
are always bluejays. Now you know why I spent my
twenties crying. Cries are required from those
who wake disturbed at dawn. Adam was called in
to name the Red-Winged Blackbirds, the Diamond
Rattlers, and the Ring-Tailed Raccoons washing
God in the streams at dawn. Centuries later,
the Mesopotamian gods, All curls and ears,
showed up behind them the Generals With their
blue-coated sons who will die at dawn. Those
grasshopper-eating hermits were so good To stay
all day in the cave but it is also sweet To see
the fenceposts gradually appear at dawn. People
in love with the setting stars are right To
adore the baby who smells of the stable, but we
know That even the setting stars will disappear
at dawn.
Surprised by Evening There is unknown dust that
is near us Waves breaking on shores just over
the hill Trees full of birds that we have never
seen Nets drawn with dark fish.The evening
arrives we look up and it is there It has come
through the nets of the stars Through the
tissues of the grass Walking quietly over the
asylums of the waters.The day shall never end
we thinkWe have hair that seemed born for the
daylightBut at last the quiet waters of the
night will rise And our skin shall see far off
as it does under water.
7
(No Transcript)
8
Work Cited

• http//www.robertbly.com/biography.html
• http//www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?45442B7C000C0
  40D0F
• http//www.blueskypie.com/fictionbycategory/poetry
  /poetrybooks/morningpoem.asp