Poetry and Bondage - Exploring Poetic Constraint from Ovid to Contemporary Voices

Explore the intersection of poetic form and historical oppression in this 43-minute literary studies discussion featuring Andrea Brady, winner of the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism, as she examines her groundbreaking book with host Ato Quayson. Delve into the complex history of poetic constraint and discover how poets throughout history—from classical figures like Ovid to enslaved poets such as Phillis Wheatley, and from Emily Dickinson to contemporary writer Lisa Robertson—have drawn parallels between verse structure and physical bondage. Learn how Brady's scholarship amplifies the voices of enslaved and imprisoned poets while challenging conventional approaches to lyric poetry and interrogating the racial assumptions embedded in traditional literary criticism. Gain insights into how this research opens new pathways for creating politically and ethically engaged poetry in contemporary literary practice, offering a fresh perspective on the relationship between formal constraints and social justice in poetic expression.