Poetry

Life is a Stream: Amy Lowell in the Village by John Flood, Library Manager, Grand Central LibraryFebruary 9, 2012

Amy Lowell, 1874-1925, Digital ID 102851, New York Public LibraryAmy Lowell was a poet who lived for a time at 61 Washington Square in New York City. February 9 is her birthday.

Here is a short selection from her work:

Life is a stream
On which we strew
Petal by petal the flower of our heart.

"Petals," from Dome of Many-Coloured Glass (1912)

658 of her poems are available though Columbia Granger's World of Poetry.

She was postumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1926.

View all posts by John Flood

Comments

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Amy Lowell

Submitted by Geraldine Nathan (not verified) on February 10, 2012 - 1:34pm

Life is a stream On which we strew Petal by petal the flower of our heart By Amy Lowell This is a beautiful poem and more profound than it would first appear to be. Life is a stream... a small river which meanders in all directions... the lack of control that happens with whims of destiny...On which we strew Petal by petal the flower of our heart...this seems to refer to emotions that are spent throughout people's lives, forgotten love, forgotten dreams which drift away on the awry currents of the stream. I believe it refers to only emotions that are honorable, noble and good. The flower of our heart is in fact a person's heart which throughout life weakens with each beat, particularly in the throws of sadness or regret.