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On Being · January 2, 2025 · 70m
Joy Harjo and Tracy K. Smith — Poetry as a Technology for Rising
Two former U.S. Poet Laureates on poetry as technology for accessing truth. Harjo and Smith discuss how poetry reaches truths that prose cannot — not through argument but through rhythm, image, and the body's response to language.
This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.
Canon
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Harjo: writing poetry is a meditative practice — it requires the same quality of attention as sitting meditation. Both strip away the habitual and reveal what's actually present.
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Smith: finding your poetic voice IS finding your true self. The false self writes in borrowed styles and borrowed sentiments. The true self writes what only you can write — the specific, embodied, irreplaceable perspective.
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