Poetry is not dead: U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón gives lecture and poetry reading on campus

ELLIS FARESE thedmfeatures@gmail.com

When you ask people to name a poet, they will most likely name one of the literary giants that school kids have learned about year after year: Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman or Edgar Allen Poe.

But on the campus of the University of Mississippi, a new popular answer might be Ada Limón.

Limón is an American poet and author who has published several books. In 2022, she was named the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. On Tuesday, she appeared on campus to host the annual Edith T. Baine Lecture for Scholars and Writers.

The objective of Limón’s lecture was to tackle the question, “What can poetry do?”

Limón answered this ques - tion with poise and elegance as she walked the audience through the power of poetry.

Limón’s demeanor was graceful and invigorating, timeless yet contemporary. She quickly captivated the audience members, keeping them on their seats and hanging on to every word she spoke.

“Poems make us curious,” Limón said. “They do not make us wise. They make us interrogators of our own lives. Each poem, like music, like paintings, will hit each person differently at different times.”

Limón’s ability to illustrate wit and thought-provoking ideas throughout her lecture exemplified her talent as a writer and speaker. She explained how difficult it can be to relay one’s poetic experience in a relatable and humorous manner.

“No one will be moved by the same poem, the same song,” Limon said. “It’s why