Donald Revell Sees an Enchanted World at Harvard’s Fall Poetry Symposium

Warm afternoon light poured through the arched windows of the Williams Chapel at Harvard Divinity School as a small but attentive crowd gathered to hear poet Donald Revell deliver a poetry reading, craft talk, and discussion on Oct. 5. Revell has authored sixteen poetry collections, the most recent of which, “White Campion,” was published in 2021.

Stephanie Burt, literary critic and Professor of English at Harvard, opened the event, titled “Almost A Prayer: The Afterlife of Enchantment,” with an enthusiastic introduction of Revell’s work.

“There aren’t that many poets in the history of the English language who have completely reinvented their style more than once and had it be really thoughtful and moving, and complicated, and radiant, and worth delving into each time,” she said.

Revell opened the symposium with a reading of his poem, “A Hint to Plotinus,” which ends with the line: “Oblivion mimics creation, and we are free to begin.” This was a fitting beginning indeed.

Revell’s work, while grounded in Christian motifs, roves beyond the dogma of any particular religion. His poems are mystical, full of historical and literary references and lush landscapes that exist in a unique temporality in which past, present, and future are all alive and resonant.

The unifying thread of the poems Revell shared is their intent to honor people and poetic legacy. “Catafalque” was written in memory of the poet John Ashbery, who Revell called his “hero.” “The Silver Hyphens” was inspired by one of Revell’s earliest memories of watching his sister’s charm bracelet as she drove.

Many of Revell’s poems pay homage more explicitly through their inclusion of epigrams or quotes from authors both ancient and modern. Revell draws inspiration from a diverse lineage of writers and scholars across millenia, including Dante, Thoreau, Thomas Aquinas, and Frank O’Hara.

At one point, Revell and Burt naturally veered off into a discussion about W.H. Auden.

“I remember seeing Auden sitting in his underwear in the window of a dry cleaners waiting for his only suit to be cleaned, back in the village,” Revell said.

Revell spoke of his encounters with the divine in a similarly casual manner.

“For some reason, whenever my angel appears to me, she's just washed her hair,” Revell said after reading his poem “Senesco Sed Amo,” in which a “steadfast angel” offers solace and a kiss.

Revell retained his levity and easeful presence at the podium despite an interruption to the talk, which momentarily diverted the attention of the room.

Following the reading, Revell transitioned into a craft talk about “Enchantment,” which he described as a moment in which intention or motive gives way to attention. Revell upheld the possibility for Enchantment in both poetry and prayer.

“For me, prayer and beautiful language just seem to be the same thing,” Revell said. “Both are events of attention.”

Revell described his favorite poems and precious moments of creative inspiration as a “happy accident of birth.” This is a fitting description of Revell’s first encounter with poetry, which took place at his junior high school in the Bronx after his English class was “chosen” to be taught Dante by courtesy of an anonymous sponsor.

It is the embrace of serendipity and its transformation into intention or meditation that defines much of Revell’s work. Revell emphasized that poetry should honor the sometimes destabilizing effects of inspiration.

“When I teach poets about writing poetry, the first thing I want to tell them is: throw away your mind,” Revell said. “Be enchanted. Stumble into the poem you weren't planning to write.”

Revell’s wisdom resonated with many students. “I was struck by what he was saying about just going on this journey with the idea that comes to you and seeing where it takes you. As an M. Div. I see very similar lines with chaplaincy,” Twyla Barkakoty, a third-year master’s degree candidate at the Harvard Divinity School, said.

Sherah Bloor, a PhD candidate in Philosophy of Religion at the Divinity School, acknowledged Revell’s support of creative writing at Harvard. Bloor is the editor-in-chief of the literary and arts journal, “Peripheries,” which hosted the event.

“Don started people’s careers here,” Bloor said. “He’s often the first person to publish and to read people’s work in the English department, and he’s an incredibly generous person who centers everyone else’s work.”

Emma De Lisle, a PhD candidate in religion at the Divinity School and associate editor of “Peripheries,” underscored the broad interest in poetry at the Divinity School.

“The intersection of Enchantment, prayer, and poetry that Don was talking about today is something that a lot of us study or are trying to study or trying to find new ways to approach in the Divinity School, so it’s an extremely pertinent talk for a lot of us,” she said.

Overall, the talk was a vibrant journey across time and space into the murky territory of inspiration and creativity that yield enchanted poetic visions.