The College of William and Mary’s Professor of English and Humanities Henry Hart visited Bowers Writers House at Elizabethtown College on Thursday, Feb. 19 to read some of his award-winning poetry. Hart has published four poetry collections and a biography on James Dickey, amongst other critical and creative work.
Hart earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and doctorate of philosophy from Oxford University. Hart was also one of the founding editors of Verse Magazine, a magazine that features submissions by people looking to be recognized as poets.
Hart started off the poetry reading thanking President Carl Strikwerda for supporting him and his poetry branch at William and Merry. He and Strikwerda were colleagues when Strikwerda was a dean at the College of William and Mary.
Hart used to live on his father’s Christmas tree farm, which is still open. His father did not agree with Hart’s passion for writing poems. The real catalyst of Hart’s interest in writing poetry came from his grandfather, who also wrote poems. “I don’t know if I would be an English professor,” Hart said, “if it weren’t for my grandfather.” Hart added that he and his siblings worshipped their grandfather.
Hart’s poetry is pieced together to be a biography. All of his poems focused heavily on his life and personal events. His favorite poem of his is either “Lost in the Gobi” or “The Gift of Warblers.” “Lost in the Gobi” is about Hart’s venture through the Gobi Desert in Asia. Hart described his troubles of the trip. He was pulled over by armed forces, who told him he couldn’t go any further, and he also had a driver who would fall asleep at the wheel.
Hart resides in Williamsburg, Va. Additionally, Hart has a son who had a difficult birth. “After he was born, his heart and lungs weren’t working properly,” Hart said. Hart wrote a poem describing the troubles of the birth titled, “Hard Birth for James.”
Hart’s books that are for sale can be bought online. Bowers Writers House will host more poetry readings in April for National Poetry Month.
