By Taylor Paraboschi
Poet Molly Peacock infused both humor and drama into her poetry to make it come alive in the Monroe Lecture Center this past Tuesday night.
"She casts a spell and awakens us to the here and now," said Phillis Levin, a close friend of Peacock's and the University's poet-in-residence. Levin, who has been friends with Peacock for more than 35 years, gave a brief five-minute introduction of Peacock, citing her numerous awards and acclamations from foundations such as the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, and also accredited her as one of the creators of Poetry in Motion.
"Authenticity is her trademark," said Levin who added that Peacock was a "poetry activist," who was "rooted in the life of the flesh."
Peacock spoke for 90 minutes in the lecture center, preforming 13 original pieces which included poems such as, "Couples Sharing a Peach," "The Spell," "The Fair" and "Why I am Not a Buddhist." One of her poems entitled "The Lull," is a humorous poem about a blind date with good intentions going horribly wrong. Another, entitled "The Fair," is a poem about a mother's death and her clip-on earrings.
In the midst of her readings, Peacock took the time to tell the audience about what motivates her as a poet. "Writing a poem is like going out and skating on the ice and doing your performance for a serious skater. It's a performance."
She added that she tries to incorporate a myriad of different emotions into her work, striving to have a full pallet of emotion in her writings. "I want my poems to be placed in between emotions, where you don't know whether to laugh or cry," she said.
"I'm original as writer but not as a human," Peacock said. This is how she manages to make her poems real and relatable to other people. "If I've gone there emotionally," added Peacock, "chances are so have you."
Professor Connie Roberts echoed the thoughts of Peacock when it comes to the realism in her poetry. "Her poetry is accessible. Students can relate to what she is saying and that makes her less intimidating."
Roberts added that Peacock is known as a "new formalist" for the fact that she obeys the rules but breaks them at the same time. "She is a traditional poet yet she makes it her own." Roberts said she hopes her students would take away from Peacock the sense that you can have fun when writing your poetry.
"She is a fresh poet and a sick performer. She inspires me to write," said senior creative writing major Casey Campanaro. Senior Christie Knapp agreed, adding that Peacock's ability to interweave sensuality and imagery is captivating to all.
"I thought that she protested [against] the rising tide of conformity in poetry. She showed that it's more about laying out your own style and feeling," said Danielle Maggio, a junior who is a liberal arts major. "She was a very saucy lady," Maggio said.