Regarding Thom Gunn. Poet. Teacher. Mentor.
Sunday May 9, 2004
by Gerard Van der Leun
When a person dies, there is a hole in the world which closes as it is filled by the life that goes on afterwards. But a poet leaves poems which hold the hole open, occupying a space in the memories of people who may never have known the poet personally. And the memory-space occupied after death by a poet who teaches other poets expands out through those poets and their poems.
Thom Gunn was such a teaching poet and we can see his influence rippling out in the memoir contributed by Gerard Van der Leun, who was his student many years ago.
Related resources:
Thom Gunn, 1929 - 2004
Our reference page on Thom Gunn
When a person dies, there is a hole in the world which closes as it is filled by the life that goes on afterwards. But a poet leaves poems which hold the hole open, occupying a space in the memories of people who may never have known the poet personally. And the memory-space occupied after death by a poet who teaches other poets expands out through those poets and their poems.
Thom Gunn was such a teaching poet and we can see his influence rippling out in the memoir contributed by Gerard Van der Leun, who was his student many years ago.
Related resources:
Thom Gunn, 1929 - 2004
Our reference page on Thom Gunn
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