Women of all years filled the Sohn Residence lobby Oct. 20, curled up on couches, perched on armrests, and sitting cross-legged on the floor listening intently to Assistant Professor of English Christina Lambert read and explore pieces by one of her favorite poets: Denise Levertov.
This is the second year Sohn has hosted a poetry night with Lambert in fulfillment of the dorm academic event requirement.
“Even though it was our academic event, it was something more cozy and communal,” said senior Emily Schutte, head resident assistant of Sohn.
The event attracted more people than expected, Schutte said. Many women from dorms other than Sohn attended, including freshmen.
“I was really impressed by how much the freshmen at the event spoke up and seemed passionate about the subject,” sophomore and Sohn resident assistant Lucy Jansen said.
Lambert said she first encountered Levertov while studying for her comprehensive exams in graduate school, and has since fallen in love with her work. Lambert taught a 400-level English seminar on Levertov last spring, and she is currently working on publishing a book on Levertov and T.S. Eliot.
“My whole world is Levertov right now,” Lambert said.
But her extensive expertise on this poet was not the only reason Lambert chose to bring the poet’s work to Sohn.
“These poems are accessible and hospitable in a way that we can gather and read them on a Monday night without a lot of background,” Lambert said. “I think the most important thing events like this allow for is that you don’t associate the act of reading poetry with school and assignments, but that you understand that it’s an activity of leisure.”
Lambert’s opening question set the tone for the evening: “What is the relationship between the imagination and the Christian faith?”
Under Lambert’s direction and using Levertov’s words as a guide, students discussed how poetry can be a catalyst to both prayer and knowledge of the faith. Within her poem “What The Figtree Said,” Levertov describes Christ as “the Poet who speaks in images.” Lambert said poetry can be an instance of God using what we love to draw the soul closer to himself.
“That was really poignant to talk about, because it can sometimes feel as though the world of imagination is not necessarily evil but not in keeping with the apparent strictness of faith,” Schutte said.
Within some of the selected poems, Levertov uses words to explore well known religious and biblical scenes in an unconventional but revealing light, Lambert said.
“I think that’s the importance of imagination,” Schutte said. “Even though there is one truth, there are multiple means of coming to that same conclusion, including using literature, using poetry, as a means of sparking that.”
Schutte said this poetry night marked the continuation of a tradition they hope to preserve in coming years.
“It was really exciting to see how many people were interested in learning about this topic,” Schutte said. “We really hope to maintain this event as a tradition of something we started.”
