Happy Birthday, Donald Justice! | Poems Rethabile Likes

🎂 Happy Birthday, Donald Justice!

Poet · Teacher · Musician · born 12 August 1925

Today we celebrate the 101st birthday of Donald Justice — one of the finest American poets of the twentieth century. Here is his exquisite sonnet, “The Wall,” a meditation on Eden, innocence, and the fall. The poem moves with the quiet precision that characterizes Justice's best work — a world where angels are "as common / As birds or butterflies," where the lion sharpens his claw in a dream, and where the gate stands open as the giant wings unfurl.

Justice was born on this day in 1925 in Miami, Florida. A pianist and painter who chose words, he excelled at both traditional and experimental forms, finding particular delight in the sestina. He taught at Syracuse, Iowa, and the University of Florida, and received numerous awards including the Bollingen Prize. He served as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets from 1997 to 2003, and was nominated for Poet Laureate in 2003, though declining health forced him to decline.

The Wall for J.B.

The wall surrounding them they never saw; The angels, often. Angels were as common As birds or butterflies, but looked more human. As long as the wings were furled, they felt no awe. Beasts, too, were friendly. They could find no flaw In all of Eden: this was the first omen. The second was the dream which woke the woman. She dreamed she saw the lion sharpen his claw. As for the fruit, it had no taste at all. They had been warned of what was bound to happen. They had been told of something called the world. They had been told and told about the wall. They saw it now; the gate was standing open. As they advanced, the giant wings unfurled.

Donald Justice (1925–2004) was an American poet, teacher, and musician. Born in Miami, Florida, he studied piano with Carl Ruggles and later earned a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He taught at several universities including Syracuse, Iowa, and the University of Florida. His poetry is known for its formal elegance, musicality, and emotional depth. He received the Bollingen Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and served as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. His collections include The Summer Anniversaries, Night Light, and Selected Poems. Justice wrote "The Wall" in 1960 as a young graduate student in John Berryman's workshop at Iowa. Berryman taught at the Iowa Writers' Workshop from 1950 to 1953.

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Poem source: Ronnow Poetry