>>> SOME HAVE CALLED HIM AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT WRITERS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

INDEED, GREG DELANTY, A LAUDED IRISH POET WHO'S LIVED IN VERMONT FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS DISHES OUT LYRICAL, ACCESSIBLE DEPTHS OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

POET GREG DELANTY UP NEXT ON "PROFILE."

♪♪ >>> A NATIVE OF CORK, IRELAND, AND NOW AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, GREG DELANTY IS THE AUTHOR OF SEVEN FULL COLLECTIONS OF POETRY, INCLUDING A RECENT COLLECTED WORKS.

HIS POEMS HAVE APPEARED A FEW DOZEN ANTHOLOGIES AND NEAR 60 PUBLICATIONS IN SIX COUNTRIES.

DELANTY HAS EDITED A NUMBER OF POETRY COLLECTIONS AND HAS A FEW ANGLO SAXON AND GREEK TRANSLATIONS UNDER HIS BELT.

HE IS THE RECIPIENT OF NUMEROUS EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN POETRY AWARDS, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION IN BRITAIN AND A GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP LAST YEAR.

DELANTY IS ARTIST IN RESIDENCE OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT AT ST.

MICHAEL'S COLLEGE WHERE HE HAS TAUGHT SINCE 1987.

>> 20 YEARS.

>> JUST OVER 20 YEARS.

>> YEAH, AND YOU ALSO HAVE A PLACE IN IRELAND.

>> I CAME HERE FIRST AS A VISITING POET TO THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT.

>> RIGHT.

>> AND I THOUGHT I WAS ONLY VISITING, BUT I'M STILL HERE.

>> RIGHT.

>> ST.

MICHAEL'S OFFERED ME A JOB.

WE HAVE A CHILD HERE NOW, AND SO I GO BACK FOR TWO OR THREE MONTHS EVERY YEAR.

WHEN I TAKE THE GUGGENHEIM, I GO FOR A YEAR OR SO.

>> TO GREECE OR SOMETHING.

IN YOUR LATE 20s, A MAJOR POETRY PRIZE, AND MAJOR FELLOWSHIP WHICH BRINGS YOU TO THE UNITED STATES.

HOW DID YOU GET TO VERMONT THOUGH?

>> I WAS -- AT THE TIME I WAS MARRIED TO ANOTHER WOMAN AND MY FATHER JUST DIED, AND I HAD BEEN TEACHING FOR A YEAR, AND I WAS TEACHING SECONDARY SCHOOL, GRAMMAR SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL HERE.

AND I PUT IN FOR THIS AWARD AND I WON IT.

THAT WAS GREAT.

THE ONLY THING I HAD TO DO WAS COME AND COLLECT THE MONEY FROM THE BANK IN NEW YORK.

I SAID TO A FRIEND, CRITIC IN DUBLIN, BROWN, I SAID -- I -- HE SAID WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE PUT IN RESIDENCY, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT.

HE MADE A PHONE CALL, AND IT WAS AS SIMPLE AS THAT REALLY.

>> INCREDIBLE.

LET'S BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.

YOUR FAMILY WAS A PRINTER, AND YOU WOULD FREQUENT HIS SHOP GROWING UP.

HOW DID THAT PHYSICALITY OF THE PRINTED WORD INFLUENCE YOU AS A WRITER.

>> IT INFLUENCED ME IF IN A SENSE IT MADE WORDS PHYSICAL TO ME -- I USED TO ENVY PEOPLE, COME FROM A RURAL BACK GROUND AND THEIR WORK WOULD BE USED METAPHORICALLY IN POEMS, FOR A LOT OF THINGS.

THEN I DISCOVERED, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO THE PRINTING SHOP, ACTUALLY OVER IN ST.

MICHAEL'S, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMED TO BE -- METAPHORICAL WORLD, IT IS CALLED "THE HELLBOX, "-- IT COULD HOLD A LOT, YOU KNOW.

THAT WAS ONE BOOK.

BEING IN THAT WORLD, YOU KNOW, SEE THOSE MEN SILENTING WALKING AWAY.

>> WHAT DID YOUR PARENTS THINK AT THE AGE OF 17 YOU DECLARED YOU WITH GOING TO BE A POET?

>> MY POOR MOTHER.

NOT MUCH.

[LAUGHTER] >> THEY WERE VERY UPSET.

WHY WOULDN'T THEY BE?

I WASN'T PARTICULARLY GOOD AT SCHOOL.

HOW WOULD I MAKE A LIVING.

>> ROMANTIC NOTION THAT IN IRELAND, A POET MORE REVERED -- >> A BIT MORE REVERED, BUT IT'S ALSO -- YOU LOOK AT HINDSIGHT -- NO, SHE WAS -- SHE HAD A PRACTICAL REACTION, IF MY SON SAID THE SAME TO ME, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF UNDERSTOOD.

IT WAS HARD.

MY MOTHER WAS REALLY UPSET BY IT FOR A LONG TIME.

AFTER I STARTED WINNING AWARDS OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF YEARS -- SHE GREW UP FROM A WORKING CLASS BACK GROUND, MONEY WAS IMPORTANT TO HER NATURALLY BECAUSE SHE HAD A HARD TIME MAKING IT, SO SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT HOW I WOULD MAKE A LIVING.

>> HOW DID YOU START OUT AT 17. ?

YOU DON'T TAKE OFF TO UNIVERSITY RIGHT AWAY.

>> I LOVE POEMS, READING POEMS, AND I SAID TO MYSELF, IT WOULD BE ARRGANT -- WHEN YOU ARE YOUNGER, JUST TO GET THROUGH A CERTAIN AMOUNT, AND I SAID I WAS GOING TO BE A GREAT POET TO MYSELF.

AND THEN I TOOK DIFFERENT JOBS, JOBS THAT I THOUGHT I COULD ACTUALLY VOICE IN, THERE WOULD BE MUCH TO DO.

I DID -- POST MAN, YOU KNOW, BUT TOO MUCH TIME TAKEN UP IN THOSE JOBS AND I WENT TO COLLEGE.

I USED TO WORK WITH A LIFEGUARD, A REMOTE BEACH FOR FOUR MONTHS EVERY YEAR AND THAT GAVE ME A LOT OF TIME -- ON THE BEACHES, MORE LIKE TO MYSELF, THE WEATHER WAS ALWAYS BAD.

IDEAL REALLY.

>> AND, INDEED, YOU DID VERY WELL.

YOU WROTE POEMS, WON AWARDS, GOT YOU TO THE UNITED STATES.

YOUR POETRY IS FUSION OF TWO CULTURES, THE LANGUAGES, TRADITIONS, THE PULLS OF THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE.

WHAT ARE THE MOST PROFOUND WAYS THAT IRELAND AND THE U.S.

HAVE AFFECTED YOUR POETRY?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IRELAND IS A COUNTRY WHICH IS KIND OF, IT'S VERY SMALL, VERY, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST IT WAS WHEN I LEFT.

IT HAS CHANGED IN RECENT YEARS.

SO, IT WAS THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE TWO WORLDS COMING TO A MULTI-FACETED, DIFFERENT RACES, LANDSCAPES, CREATURES, AND IRELAND WAS MORE MONO, YOU KNOW, BUT ALSO GOING BACK TO THE HISTORICAL, TRADITIONAL BACK GROUND OF LITERATURE WHICH IS A BIT CLAUSTROPHOBIC, HISTORY AND EVERYTHING, PERSONAL, PUBLIC HISTORY IN EVERY LAYER.

BUT HERE I HAD MORE FREEDOM.

I WAS OPEN.

ANONYMOUS, THE LANDSCAPE WAS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT DIDT GIVE OFF THE WAY IN IRELAND -- IT WAS MORE OPEN.

I FELT FREER HERE.

I WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN AMERICAN POETRY AS WELL, 20th CENTURY AMERICAN POETRY IS GREAT.

AMERICA, GREAT INFLUENCE ON THE WESTERN CULTURE AND WESTERN WORLD NOW.

INTERESTING TO ME IN VARIOUS WAYS TO BE HERE.

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD END UP LIVING HERE.

BUT I'M STILL HERE.

>> I WAS INTERESTED TO READ THAT BOB DYLAN IS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE POETS.

DOES IT BOTHER YOU THAT MUCH OF POETRY TODAY IS EXPERIENCED THROUGH THIS MUSIC CULTURE RATHER THAN BEING READ DESPITE THE FACT THAT SITTING DOWN WITH ONE OF YOUR BOOKS IN THE AFTERNOON IS ONE OF THE GREAT PLEASURES, WAY TO SPEND AN AFTERNOON.

>> FIRST OF ALL, FAIR TO SAY -- HAVE TO SAY -- HE REMAKES WORDS AS WELL AS HAVING A PARTICULAR SOUND.

HE RENEWS THE LANGUAGE IN CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THE SONGS, ALL OF THE WAY THROUGH, AND HE CHANGES AS AN ARTIST AS WELL.

I CAN TALK ABOUT THIS.

BUT MOST POPULAR ARTISTS, BASICALLY, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR INSTANCE, HE HAS A SONG.

YOU LOOK AT THE LYRICS, CLICHE -- YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT RENEWING, BUT IT IS THE SONG THAT IS NEW.

BUT AS A POET, YOU HAVE TO BE RENEWING ALL OF THE TIME.

SO, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME.

THAT'S THE WORLD I LOVED, AND I JUST LOVE CERTAIN MUSIC ARTISTS AND DYLAN.

>> YOU WRITE ABOUT BIRTH AND DEATH AND LOVE AND POLITICS IN THIS VERY EARTH BOUND HUMAN WAY, BUT SOMEHOW YOU AVOID THE RAMPING AND SENTIMENTALITY, AND, YOU KNOW, THE CLICHES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

>> YEAH, I MEAN, THE MAIN PURPOSES OF AN ARTIST IS TO RENEW, NOT TO MAKE SOMETHING NEW.

YOU CAN MAKE NOTHING NEW, VERY RARE, MAYBE JAMES JOYCE WITH THE STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS, BUT IN GENERAL YOU RENEW.

I READ A LOT.

READ A LOT ABOUT POETS.

I TRY TO KNOW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT POETRY FROM ANGLO SAXON TO KNOWING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, EVERY COUNTRY INCLUDING AUSTRALIA, CANADA, AMERICAN POETRY, OTHER POEMS IN TRANSLATION, ETC.

AND THEN I TRY TO BRING THAT LEARNING INTO THE WRITING ITSELF.

BUT MAKING IT MY OWN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

>> WE SHOULD HEAR SOME OF YOUR POETRY.

ONE FROM YOUR LATEST VOLUME, "THE SHIP OF BIRTH," THE FIRST ONE, THE AILIAN.

>> I'M BACK AGAIN, SCRUTINIZING THE MILKY WAY OF YOUR ULTRASOUND, SCANNING THE DARK MATTER, THE NAUGHTINESS THAT NOW SAY IS CHOCKER BLOCK WITH -- ALL SPROUT, WHO ART THERE INSIDE THE SPACE CRAFT -- THE TIME CAPSULE OF THIS PRINTOUT, HURLING AND WHIRLING TOWARDS US.

LITTLE GREEN MAN, WE'RE ANXIOUS TO MAKE CONTACT, TO ASK DIVERS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HEAVEN YOU HAIL FROM, TO DISCUSS THE SHEBANG OF THE BEGINNING AND END.

TO SAY WELCOME, THAT WE MEAN NO HARM.

WE WOULD DIE FOR YOU EVEN.

THAT WE PRAY YOU'RE NOT HERE TO SUBDUE US, THAT WE PUT AWAY OUR GUNS, MISSILES, ATTITUDE AND SHARE OUR WORLD WITH YOU -- >> AND, INDEED, HE STAYED.

I LOVE JUST ALIEN, BUT THE RELIGIOUS -- >> IN THAT POEM, IT IS SET -- AT THE TIME I WAS READING THE RELIGIOUS POEMS OF THE 17th CENTURY, USES THAT FORM.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW THAT.

I AM A BELIEVER AS A POET -- YOU -- I LIKE TO MAKE THE POEMS SEEMINGLY SYMBOL ALSO.

>> THEY ARE VERY ACCESSIBLE, BUT THEY STILL -- THEY HAVE ALL OF THESE LAYERS.

A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON.

I MEAN, YOU'RE CATHOLIC UPBRINGING HAVE A LOT OF INFLUENCE, OR IS IT MAINLY READING THE LITERATURE?

>> IT IS MY CHILDHOOD, GROWING UP IN IRELAND.

EVERYBODY WAS CATHOLIC.

WE BELIEVED EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD WAS CATHOLIC.

WE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE.

IT WAS ABOUT EXTRAORDINARY SET OF BELIEFS.

WE BELIEVED IN EXTRAORDINARY -- I WAS VERY YOUNG.

THAT INFLUENCED ME.

I HAVE A CATHOLIC SENSIBILITY.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, A SENSE OF MYSTERY, AND -- YOU KNOW, IT DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO THE SYSTEM, BUT IT'S IN THE POEMS.

LIKE PEOPLE TALK TO ME ABOUT MY ACCENT.

I CAN'T HEAR IT.

YOU KNOW.

CAN'T HEAR YOUR INFLUENCES YOURSELF.

>> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER THIS.

HOW DO YOU KEEP METAPHOR AND SIMILY FRESH.

>> YOU COMPARE SOMETHING AGAINST SOMETHING ELSE TO RENEW.

TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING LOCAL -- ST.

MICHAEL'S LEARNING PLACE, AND BURLINGTON, YOU HAVE THESE -- I COULDN'T GET OVER THE CONTRAST WHEN I CAME TO AMERICAN FIRST TO SEE TERRIBLE THINGS FLYING OVER.

F-16 UNZIPS THE SKY.

YOU KNOW, GAS PUMPS PLUGGED THEIR FINGERS TO THEIR EARS.

NOISY.

IT JUST HAPPENS.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE I GET THEM.

I JUST WRITE THEM DOWN.

POEMS HAPPEN IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

>> HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN A POEM IS FINISHED?

SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY NEVER ARE.

IS IT JUST, YOU KNOW YOU'VE TOUCHED THE UNIVERSAL OR THE TRUTH OF THE MOMENT AND OTHER THINGS FALL INTO PLACE?

>> THE PROCESS OF KNOWING WHEN A POEM IS FINISHED OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT IS THERE, FIRST OF ALL.

I MEAN, BASICALLY THE POEM COMES ORIGINALLY IMPETUS AND YOU WRITE THE POEM DOWN AND YOU CLEAR IT OF THE THINGS THAT GOT IN THE WAY THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE CRAFT TO DO WHEN YOU WERE WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT AND THEN YOU CLEAR IT AND CLEAR IT BUT THE DANGER IS THAT YOU CLEAR IT TOO MUCH.

SOMETIMES, I MEAN, I HAVE GONE BACK AND WE DRAFTED POEMS IN BOOKS AFTERWARDS, DRAFTED A FEW POEMS IN 1986, 2006.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I'M DISSATISFIED WITH POEMS AND GO BACK TO IT.

MOST OF THE TIME IF I PUBLISH A POEM I THINK I'M FINISHED BUT I LOOK AT IT LATER ON AND SAY IT'S NOT QUITE RIGHT.

YOU CAN'T THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH BECAUSE YOU MIGHT TAKE OUTS THE ENERGY OF THE POEM, TAKING OUT SOME THINGS THAT MAYBE BY THEMSELVES ARE NOT WORKING.

>> YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT.

YOU HAVE BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO GET EVERY DIMENSION OF A POEM TO ENJOY IT.

IN FACT, CERTAIN DIMENSIONS SHOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.

YOUR POEMS ARE VERY ACCESSIBLE TO READERS.

WHAT ARE WE MISSING?

WHAT AN ARE THOSE THINGS THAT ONLY POETS WILL BEGIN TO PICK UP?

>> IT IS JUST ANY READER.

I WOULD LIKE MY POEMS IN GENERAL TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING GOING ON IN THE POEM.

LOOK AT SPORT, THEY DON'T HAVE TO KNOW THE TECHNICALITIES OF WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND IT.

JUST ENJOY IT.

OF COURSE, IF SOMEBODY DOES GET THAT, I LOVE THAT, OF COURSE.

THERE ARE VERY FEW READERS AROUND -- THERE ARE READERS, AND IF -- >> PEOPLE ARE MISSING A LOT.

LET'S READ ONE MORE, LOOSESTRIFE, WHICH IS A POLITICAL POEM WITH SEVERAL LAYERS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE.

>> YES, IT'S FROM IRELAND, WHICH IS CALLED THE WEST, BUT LOOSESTRIFE IS A PLANT THAT GROWS WILD THERE.

IT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE ATLANTIC AT THE TIME.

IT IS JUST A POEM ABOUT WHAT WE AS HUMAN BEINGS -- WHAT WE IN THE WEST ARE DOING TO THE WORLD AND WHAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE DOING, TOO.

>> YOU EMBRACE SOME CONVENTIONAL FORM.

BUT YOU HAVE A CONVERSATIONAL FREE-FLOWING WAY.

>> YEAH.

I MEAN, THE KNACK, AUTHENTICITY, HOW HE BRINGS HIS OWN KIND OF CRAFT AND SPIRIT INTO THE WRITING, AND I SUPPOSE THAT'S WHAT I TRY TO DO, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL.

>> IN THIS ONE YOU CREATED SOME CONSTRAINTS AS WELL.

GO AHEAD.

>> YOU HAVE BECOME YOUR NAME.

LOOSESTRIFE.

CARRIED ON SHEEP -- THE CURE BROUGHT ACROSS THE DEEP TO TREAT WOUNDS THROUGH TROUBLE.

THERE HAVE BEEN OTHERS LIKE YOU, THE -- YOUR ABILITY TO PROPAGATE BY SEED, STEM -- HOW YOU ADJUST TO LIGHT, SOIL, SPREADING YOUR GLORY ACROSS THE EARTH EVEN AS YOU KILL BY BOTH, BY AIR, BY LAND, ALL BEFORE YOU.

THE ARTISTS, RARE ORCHIDS -- YOU OVERTAKE THE EARTH AND DESTROY YOURSELF.

THE US COULD BE U.S.

AT THE END.

I MEAN, AND THE LOOSESTRIFE IS ONE OF THESE -- IT WAS JUST A METAPHOR I USED.

>> SPEAKING OF THAT, YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS INCLUDED HERE, EXPANSIONISM, WAR, IS NOT LIMITED TO POETRY.

YOU DO VIGIL -- >> VIGIL AT 5:00, STEP IT UP, STARTED THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCEPTS, STAFF AND STUDENTS, AND WORKING ON THAT VERY HARD.

I HAVE BEEN ACTIVE POLITICALLY BECAUSE I WOULDN'T BE TRUE TO MY POEMS THEN.

TO ME, IT IS NOT LIFE BEFORE THE WALK, WALK BEFORE THE LIFE.

TO ME THEY'RE THE SAME.

I WOULDN'T BE TRUE TO MY POEMS, AND THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THE POEMS COME FROM OUT OF THAT -- >> YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SIT IN AN IVORY TOWER.

>> WE CAN'T AFFORD TO SIT IN IVORY TOWERS, IT WOULDN'T BE TRUE TO THE POEMS AND THE POEMS WOULDN'T BE TRUE, GIVE AND TAKE.

IF I DO SOMETHING -- I DO SOMETHING NEARLY EVERY DAY POLITICALLY.

>> YOU HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF TRANSLATIONS, ANCIENT GREEK, OLD ENGLISH, I'M NOT SURE WHERE ALL.

WHERE DID YOUR INTEREST IN LANGUAGE AND DOING TRANSLATIONS COME FROM?

>> ORIGINALLY I THINK I WAS ASKED, WOULD YOU DO THE TRANSLATIONS -- >> YOU AREN'T FLUID IN GREEK.

>> I DON'T HAVE GREEK, BUT THEY'RE SENT TO ME, TRANSLATOR SET UP AND I WOULD WORK WITH THAT PARTICULAR PERSON.

I DON'T -- I WOULD LOVE TO ACTUALLY SEE IT PERFORMED BEFORE THE ELECTIONS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT SUITS THE ELECTIONS.

BUT IT'S ALSO SOMETHING TO DO WHEN YOU'RE NOT WRITING POEMS, AND IT IS ALSO A WAY OF LEARNING FROM OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DONE.

>> YOUR GUGGENHEIM IS SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF YOUR NEXT BOOK, GREEK ANTHOLOGY BOOK 17.

YOU TAKE ON A NUMBER OF PERSONAS FOR THIS SERIES, GREGORY OF CORK, THAT SOMEHOW SOUNDS FAMILIAR.

>> I'VE BEEN WRITING THIS FOR A WHILE WHEN I PUT IN FOR THE GUGGENHEIM.

IT IS A KIND OF USING THE TEMPLATE OF THE GREEK ANTHOLOGY, 16 BOOKS OF.

THEY'RE MY OWN POEMS.

>> THEY'RE VERY CURRENT.

IT IS NOT LIKE YOU'RE -- >> WHAT IS GOING ON IN IRAQ, NORTHEAST KINGDOM, SEEING SOMEBODY SWIMMING, COULD BE ABOUT ANYTHING.

THEY'RE LETTING ME GET AT THINGS THAT I CAN'T NORMALLY GET AT IN MY OWN PERSONA EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE MYSELF -- >> HOW DOES THAT WORK?

>> IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN REALLY.

I DON'T REALLY KNOW.

THEY'RE STILL IN PROCESS KIND OF, YOU KNOW.

POEMS THAT I DO VERY QUICKLY AND THEY SEEM TO WORK AND PEOPLE LIKE THEM AND I'M ENJOYING THEM.

THE MAIN THING IS I AM ENJOYING THEM.

TAKING PARTS OF ME THAT I CAN'T GET AT IN A MORE DIRECT FASHION WHICH I DON'T UNDERSTAND AND I DON'T WANT TO UNDERSTAND IN A WAY BECAUSE IT MIGHT STOP ME.

>> THE GREAT SHIP, A SHORT BUT CHARMING POEM.

IF WE CAN GET ONE MORE IN.

RIGHT HERE, ALSO FROM THE COLLECTED WORKS AND FROM THE "THE SHIP OF BIRTH."

>> SET ON THE TITANIC.

WITH THE SONG AT THE END, COMFORT OF THE SONG.

THE GREAT SHIP.

LATER TONIGH -- THE OLD, SUDDEN SHARP ICEBERG CALL OF NEW ENGLAND.

CRICKETS, GRASS HOPPERS, FROGS PLAY ON.

WHAT THEIR SONG AND WING MUSIC ARE SAYING I CAN'T SAY.

EXCEPT -- THE ICE HAS GASHED A GAPING HOLE IN THE WHOLE OF INDIAN SUMMER AND THEY ARE THE QUARTET THAT COMES OUT ON DECK AND PLAYS AWAY AS THE GREAT SHIP GOES DOWN.

WE LISTEN QUIETLY FROM ALL DECKS LIFE BOAT.

PLAY ON BRAVE NOBLE SOULS, PLAY ON, THERE MY GOD TO BE NEARER TO THEE.

>> THAT'S GREAT.

JUST TO FINISH UP.

BECAUSE YOU'RE -- MANY OF YOUR POEMS EMBRACE THE CONVENTIONS OF FORM, BUT YOU HAVE THIS CONVERSATIONAL WAY OF DOING IT, WHAT TO YOU IS A REALLY, IS A GOOD REAL POEM COMPARED TO WHAT YOU HAVE SOMETIMES CALLED MOCK POETRY?

WHEN YOU ARE TALKING TO YOUR STUDENTS, HOW DO YOU SAY THIS IS -- THIS DOESN'T MAKE IT AS A POEM, BUT THIS ONE DOES?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUALITIES >> THE QUALITIES, AGAIN, AS I SAID AT THE START, RENEWING, HAS TO BE DOING SOMETHING NEW.

NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE.

WILLIS POEMS, THE POEMS IN THE ICE BOX, THAT WAS DONE -- IT CAN BE REDONE AND REDONE.

BUT THAT IS JUST COPYING.

THAT IS DOING THE WORK OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

THE FIRST THING IS TO REMAKE, RENEW.

>> GREG DELANTY, WE'RE OUT OF TIME.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MANY SUCCESSES, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF IRELAND PURCHASING ALL OF YOUR PAPERS.

FANTASTIC.

YOU CAN FIND HIS COLLECTIVE WORKS ONLINE AND BOOKS OF POETRY AT MOST BOOK STORES.

THERE IS A LINK AT vpt.org.

Captioning Performed by LNS Captioning www.lnscaptioning.com