May Swenson, with her remarkable body of work, redefined the landscape of contemporary poetry. Her creative endeavors were rooted in rediscovery and revelation, bringing fresh perspectives to a world that had grown too familiar. Swenson’s poetry transcended simple categorization—embracing nature, technology, and human experience alike, her work was a testament to the poetic exploration of familiar and unfamiliar realms.

Rediscovery Through Poetry

In his introduction to the first volume of the Poets of Today series, John Hall Wheelock highlighted the role of poetry in presenting the world anew, a perspective deeply embodied in May Swenson's work. Her first book-length collection, Another Animal, marked the beginning of a journey that spanned thirty-five years, during which no other poet committed so fully to the task of poetic renewal. Swenson’s poetry thrived on sensory experience, whether capturing the essence of urban landscapes or the quiet beauty of natural scenes. Her subjects ranged from astronauts to angels, subways to swans, revealing her belief that anything touched by the senses could be transformed into poetry.

A Sensory Approach: "Horses in Central Park"

Swenson’s poetry is often lauded for its vivid sensory imagery, particularly for the eye. "Horses in Central Park" exemplifies this sensory engagement, celebrating light, color, and texture in a way that transforms horses into shimmering autumn leaves or polished stones. Swenson’s use of alliteration and wordplay adds a musicality to the poem, creating a sensory experience that transcends mere description. The vivid imagery of "sere October" and "fox-red bay and buckskin blond as wheat" invites readers to perceive the world with renewed wonder, as Swenson’s comparisons reveal a nuanced understanding of the natural world.

The Innovation of Iconographs

Swenson’s work is marked by innovation, particularly in her experimentation with the physical form of her poems. This experimentation reached its zenith in her collection Iconographs, where words were arranged into shapes that complemented their meaning. These "image-writing" poems were often mistaken for concrete poetry, yet Swenson insisted that the poems’ shape was a secondary consideration to the words themselves. Her poem on a José de Rivera mobile, for example, uses twisting lines to mimic movement, while "The Blue Bottle" outlines the shape of a bottle. These visual elements enhance the reader's experience, allowing them to engage with poetry as a tangible object.

Swenson’s shaped poems, however, succeeded not because of their appearance but due to her mastery of language. Her images, both innovative and evocative, demanded the reader’s attention through their sensory resonance and emotional depth. In "The Garden at St. John’s," for example, a mother’s caress of her baby’s hair is likened to the "down in the wingpits of angels," a description that draws the reader into an intimate moment of tenderness and care.

The Art of Riddle and Revelation

Swenson’s poetry often ventured beyond mere description, inviting readers to partake in the experience of discovery. She frequently employed riddles, withholding direct identification of her subjects to evoke the reader’s engagement. Her poem "By Morning" serves as a prime example, using imagery of "gracious fleece" and "fumbling sheep" to conjure the essence of snow without ever naming it. This approach not only challenges the reader but enhances the poem’s impact through the richness of its imagery and the precision of its language.

Venturing into Science

Swenson’s fascination with the world extended into realms often untouched by poets, such as science and technology. Her work explored themes as diverse as electronic sound patterns and the DNA molecule, with particular interest in the U.S. space program. In "August 19, Pad 19," Swenson presents the astronaut in an unheroic yet deeply human light, capturing...