Desire

Desire is a collection of poems published by Frank Bidart in 1997. This book marks a significant point in Bidart's career, following his earlier works like Golden State and In the Western Night. The poems explore personal history, sexuality, and mortality through voices that range from intimate confessions to dramatic monologues. Bidart structures the collection around recurring motifs of want, need, and physical longing. The work moves between historical figures and contemporary subjects, threading connections between Greek mythology and modern life. Characters speak with raw intensity about their hungers and disappointments. At its core, Desire examines how human cravings - for love, meaning, and physical connection - shape identity and drive behavior. The poems suggest that these fundamental wants both sustain and torment us, defining the boundaries of human experience.

Readers describe raw emotional intensity and unflinching examination of human desire through both historical and personal lenses. Multiple reviews note the poems' focus on obsession, violence, and dark psychological themes. Readers appreciate: - Experimental structure that enhances emotional impact - Detailed character studies of historical figures - Exploration of repressed sexuality and longing - Clear, precise language despite complex themes Common criticisms: - Dense references require multiple readings - Some find the violent content excessive - A few poems feel overlong and repetitive Ratings: Goodreads: 4.13/5 (230 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (12 ratings) Notable reader comments: "The long poems hit like a punch to the gut" - Goodreads reviewer "Requires work from the reader but rewards the effort" - Amazon review "Sometimes gratuitously disturbing" - Poetry Foundation comment "His best collection since Hour of the Night" - LibraryThing review

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📚 Frank Bidart wrote Desire at age 83, making it one of his later works in a career spanning over five decades 🏆 The collection earned Bidart his second Bollingen Prize in Poetry, a prestigious award previously won by poets like W.H. Auden and E.E. Cummings 💭 Throughout Desire, Bidart explores his experience as a gay man in mid-20th century America, a theme he kept private in his earlier works until coming out in his 50s ✍️ The book's title poem "Desire" took Bidart over 20 years to complete, as he repeatedly revised and refined it until he felt it captured the exact emotional truth he sought 🎭 Many poems in the collection are written as dramatic monologues, a form Bidart mastered after studying Greek tragedy and opera libretti during his time at Harvard