“Bath“ by Amy Lowell (1914-1915)

“Bath” is one of the earliest models of a prose-poem by imagist poet Amy Lowell (1874-1925). Though the “Bath” and “Gate A4” differ in their language and concerns, they are similar in their exploration of the everyday as a possibility for poetry and transformation. “Bath” describes a woman sitting in her bathtub on a sunny day, observing the light’s play on water. The rich image-filled language transforms this mundane experience into an act of grace and freedom. Lowell does not follow poetic meter and formal patterns here, yet the prose-poem is deeply poetic.

“Kindness“ by Naomi Shihab Nye (1994)

“Kindness” showcases the poet’s humanist philosophy and deep sympathy for the human condition. It is one of many poems in Nye’s Words Under Words: Selected Poems. Like “Gate A4,” “Kindness” also emphasizes the importance of understanding the experiences and predicaments of others. To Nye, understanding the sorrow of other people enables humans to find kindness within themselves. Though “Kindness” shares themes with “Gate A4,” it is more melancholy and philosophical in tone. A comparison of the two poems maps the change in the Nye’s poetic trajectory, which enables readers to understand better the depth of the poet’s oeuvre as a whole.