When Poets Pray

by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre

Two dozen select prayer poems to learn from and live with Poetry and prayer are closely related. We often look to poets to give language to our deepest hopes, fears, losses—and prayers. Poets slow us down. They teach us to stop and go in before we go on. They play at the edges of mystery, holding a tension between line and sentence, between sense and reason, between the transcendent and the deeply, comfortingly familiar. 

When Poets Pray  contains thoughtful meditations by Marilyn McEntyre on choice poems/prayers and poems about prayer. Her beautifully written reflections are contemplative exercises, not scholarly analyses, meant more as invitation than instruc¬tion. Here McEntyre shares gifts that she herself has received from poets who pray, or who reflect on prayer, believing that they have other gifts to offer readers seeking spiritual companionship along our pilgrim way. 

POETS DISCUSSED IN THIS BOOK

Hildegard of Bingen 
Lucille Clifton 
Walter Chalmers Smith 
Robert Frost 
Wendell Berry 
Joy Harjo 
John Donne 
Gerard Manley Hopkins 
Said 
Marilyn McEntyre 
George Herbert
Thomas Merton 
Denise Levertov 
Scott Cairns 
Mary Oliver 
Marin Sorescu 
T. S. Eliot 
Richard Wilbur 
Francisco X. Alarcon 
Anna Kamienska 
Michael Chitwood 
Psalm 139:1-12

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Religion, Christian, Christianity, Prayer

160 pages, Hardcover

Published May 28, 2019

About the author

Marilyn Chandler McEntyre is a fellow of the Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California, and she teaches at UC Berkeley. Her other books include Drawn to the Light: Poems on Rembrandt's Religious Paintings, In Quiet Light: Poems on Vermeer's Women, and Patient Poets: Illness from Inside Out.

Reviews

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based on the concept that poetry can open pathways to prayer, and that poetry, in many cases, *is* the prayer.

Some of the content was a little over my head, only because it felt like I was sitting in a literature class. Each chapter began with a poem, then the author provided commentary/interpretation in an essay style. I have just not done enough of this that it comes naturally, but McEntyre is a patient guide in teaching the reader better observation skills.

It’s a slight book, at 132 pages.

One of the greatest ruminations that has come from the reading is this: “I remember a sermon in which the pastor pointed out that there are two “God is” statements in Scripture: God is love, and God is light. Light seems to have a special status, lifting it a little beyond metaphor and inviting us to recognize in what we know about light something about the nature of God—including the fact that only a small portion of its wavelengths are visible to the human eye. We are wrapped in light as we are wrapped in love; both are forms of energy these fuel light.”

With lots of focus these days on ‘God is love,’ it was refreshing to spend time thinking about how ‘God is light’ features in my faith.

[Aarik Danielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look for my full review of this late spring for Englewood Review of Books, but this book is an absolute gift to the church and to all those who see and hear themselves in a line of poetry.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous work! I greatly enjoyed the variety of poetry included and the thoughtful pondering on each one that was provided. This author values words and I always enjoy what I learn from her work.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always thought that poetry and prayer were related -- some prayersare poetry, even when they are written as collects, they sound like poetry, with their careful rhythms and allusions. And some poems are prayers. John Donne's Holy Sonnets, for example, and George Herbert's devotional poetry.

I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting with this book, just that I liked the title. And while I appreciate the author's thoughts about the poems (as well as her choice of poems), there's always a danger when you choose to write ABOUT a poem -- I'm reminded of Billy Collins' fine poem about his students wanting to beat a poem over its head, to "wring a confession out of it." McEntyre doesn't quite do this, but it's always a temptation, and hard not to skirt the edges of it.

I was comfortable with her theology and ability to wrestle with questions rather than having blithe and simplistic answers of faith. I would wish for MORE poems, but the selection was not all-of-a-kind, which I appreciated. The only small quibble was about in designating the Catholic poems as "prayers to saints". (or prayers to Mary). One of my Catholic friends corrected the impression that I had that they prayed to saints, and said that the correct way to think about it is that they ask saints to pray for them, just like they might ask a living friend to pray for them That made me think differently about the practice, whether I agree or not.

[Shemaiah Gonzalez]

Splendid little book to use for contemplative prayer.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This excellent book has been my Lenten companion these last weeks. There are 24 short chapters, each featuring a poem, then a meditation / discussion of it. But there are 40 days plus Sundays in Lent, so I used it every second day, and then every day in Holy Week up to Good Friday.

During that time, a friend of mine happened to casually text me with the low key question / observation: "Why is poetry so under valued in our day and age? It seems, when one reads classic literature of one form or another, to have once been the most popular form of writing. No one pays attention now. And when I read poetry I'm more lost than found."

I said, "People pay a lot of attention in certain circles, like any artform. Scenes and tribes. Also, 'poetry' is a massive catchall term (like 'painting')... But those things aside, you've somewhat answered your own question by the last sentence of your text. People do get lost. They also get lost when encountering any artform - painting, classical music, jazz, experimental electronic, sculpture, contemporary dance etc etc. It's all about discovering your little space in a vast sea of possibility. For me, George Herbert, TS Eliot and Denise Levertov, for example, are my poets. I love Thomas Merton more and more because he was into so much of what I'm into... contemplative spirituality, poetry, photography... There's a vibe out there in intellectual Christianity (Brueggemann and such) that promotes this idea that poetry is this amazing thing; and it is; but that idea can leave people feeling stranded if it doesn't click for them. My advice would be to relax with a poem; enjoy the sound and feel as a first place of encounter, rather than treating it as a puzzle to solve; [see what you begin to sense;] keep on the lookout for your poets. An excellent book I'm using as a devotional for Lent this year is Marilyn McEntyre's 'When Poets Pray'. Superb - an excellent selection of poets, intelligent and accessible engagement by [a fine writer,] a lover of poetry / English professor, and a devotional angle. Enjoy 🙂"

So there we are. Apart from "my poets" mentioned above, the book also includes such legends as Hildegard of Bingen, Wendell Berry, John Donne, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Mary Oliver.

This book, which I found randomly at the local book fair, is the second of Marilyn McEntyre's that I've read (the first was 'Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies'), and as I say, she's excellent in this context. A teacher with a passion for her subject, and someone with personal experience of the power of poetry in her own life.

The book concludes with an afterword about how to devotionally / contemplatively engage with poetry by yourself. A couple of quotes:

"We may ... find in poems echoes or amplifications or correctives or provocations to look further, to ask new questions, to stay through the dry times, to enter our places of darkness unafraid."

Pretty good work for Lent. And on the subject of reading, seeing as we're here:

"If, as I believe, words have a sacramental dimension in their actual capacity to heal, forgive, open the heart, and bring about change, we need to cultivate reading practices - attentive, mindful, intentional, informed - that allow us to receive the gifts they offer."

So there you are.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not start by looking to read When Poets Pray. I had heard a piece on Richard Wilbur on Mars Hill Audio. In my search, I saw this book had one of his poems, so I read it.

When Poets Pray endeavors to show us how poems can be prayers. McEntyre gives us the texts to 24 short poems-some known, some unknown. She then analyzes them to show how the poem expresses a prayer. Some poets selected might be surprised that someone considers their poem a prayer.

This book is written for the non-technical person, such as myself. Many of the poems resonated with me, which is surprising. I generally do not “get” poetry. Her analysis is easy to follow, touching on how the poet is trying to reach beyond themselves. The poems are divided into five groups: Nature’s God, Wrestling, Praying, Witnessing, and Known and Knowing. So she covers a broad spectrum of the types of prayer.

If you are looking for a book on how to prayer or a book about poetry, this is not it. It is a book which tries to show the connection between poems which expose a soul and prayer. It is worth the read, if for no other reason to examine the poems she has selected.

For more of my notes and thoughts, please see my book blog.

[Jeri Bidinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book. I have found poetry less accessible that other forms of literature. In recent years I've poked around to remedy that. This lovely offering brings poets familiar and new to me, poets renowned and others obscure. McEntyre's accompanying essays engage the poems with a light hand and invite the reader to take the exploration further. An opening to prayer, an invitation to notice and to care about lives very different from our own, and an entry into the timelessness of well-timed words. I took the book slowly, wrote my own reflections, shared some of the poems. A journey and a gift.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot to like in this little book of devotional poetry. Overall, the selections are quite lovely, and McEntyre's commentary generally offers something worthwhile to consider. But as I've recently encountered other collections of devotional poetry that I would rank much higher, and disagree with some of McEntyre's theology, I can't offer this one my unhesitating recommendation. It's a get-from-the-library book, not one that needs to live on my shelves.

[Anna Mosca · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book the author presents a poem by different poems and then proceed to explain them. It’s a good book, I eventually enjoyed, reading one poem each night before sleep, but this - the explanation part - I didn’t enjoy so much. I prefer poems not to be explained and for each one of us to figure out what it means. But Poetry and Prayer are, definitely, my two favorite things... so I did enjoy it!

[Andrea Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of twenty-four poems quotes each poem and then follows up with a spirited discussion of the poem’s meaning and impact … the poets rang from Hildegard of Bingen through George Herbert to Wendell Berry and Joy Harjo … the Afterword, “Praying With Poems, Praying Through Poems” includes many helpful suggestions … practical aid for one’s prayer life …

[Rachel Mayes Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely, thoughtful anthology! In an age when poetry is being increasingly used as a weapon against faith, it is so refreshing to see poetry treated as an expression, even a celebration of faith. The selections were well chosen, and McEntyre's reflections well articulated.

[Sue Whitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems from many poets (including Robert Frost, Wendell Berry, Denise Leverton, Scott Cairns, and many more) followed by meditations by Marilyn McEntyre which then is followed by suggestions for writing your own poems.

[Tabitha McDuffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, loved this poetry anthology and Marilyn’s accompanying thoughts on prayer. This would be a lovely gift for someone who’s not so familiar or comfortable with poetry, but is interested in dipping a toe in.

[Kenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't think of another book like this one. Each chapter presents a poem and then discusses it from a Christian perspective without necessarily analyzing it as a scholar. Pretty readable. Didn't LOVE it but enjoyed it.

[Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author offers poetry, some originally intended as prayers and others not, as jumping off points for reflection, inspiration, and communing with and about the Divine. Would make a lovely devotional book or gift for a friend who loves words.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will continue to go back to this book occasionally, for reminders of the ways poetry is prayer and prayer also can be poetry. A fresh approach to both.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just lovely.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are beautiful poems, most of which I didn’t know, and the analysis brings them even more to life. The ideas at the end for meditating with or writing poetry are very good.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, thought provoking, comforting. Will read again.

[Kuali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply a beautiful book. The poems, prayers and insights are lovely. Impactful and eye opening. A peaceful read to really take your time with and soak it all in

[Ron Kastner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginatively chosen poems. The comments nicely tie them to the theme of the book.

[Mikaela S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing much to say. It was definitely a nice lil reflection book, offered some nifty ideas and perspectives.