Member-only story

Practical Gods: Unraveling the Poetic Tapestry of Carl Dennis

Russell Mitchell

·6k Followers· Follow

Published in Practical Gods (Penguin Poets) Carl Dennis

5 min read

233 View Claps

21 Respond

Save

Listen

In the realm of contemporary American poetry, Carl Dennis stands as a towering figure, renowned for his profound meditations on the human condition. His collection, Practical Gods, published in 1992, is a testament to his mastery of the craft, showcasing a remarkable synthesis of the divine and the mundane, the sacred and the profane.

Practical Gods (Penguin Poets)

by Carl Dennis

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	380 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	77 pages

Exploring the Sacred in the Mundane

One of the defining characteristics of Dennis' poetry is its ability to uncover the sacred within the ordinary. In "The God Who Loves," he writes:

The god who loves you is not the one you ask to hold you in his arms, not the one you call to walk beside you in the dark.

Dennis suggests that the divine is not to be found in grand gestures or celestial manifestations, but rather in the everyday moments and encounters that shape our lives. The poem culminates with the revelation that the true God is one who "dries the dishes and empties the trash," embracing the mundane and finding solace in the simple acts of daily existence.

The Interplay of Doubt and Belief

Dennis' exploration of the sacred is often accompanied by a probing examination of doubt and uncertainty. In "Prayer," he writes:

I do not know if there is a God, but I pray. I do not know if there is an afterlife, but I believe there is something beyond death.

Dennis confronts the existential questions that haunt humanity, acknowledging the absence of certainty while still clinging to the power of faith. His poems become a testament to the human capacity for both doubt and hope, reminding us of the essential paradox that underpins our spiritual journeys.

The Sensory and the Intellectual

Dennis' poetry is deeply rooted in the senses, capturing the sights, sounds, and textures of the world around him. In "The Garden," he paints a vivid picture of nature's beauty:

The garden is a place of wonder, where the flowers bloom in colors no human could ever dream.

He then juxtaposes this sensory experience with intellectual musings on the nature of existence:

But the garden is also a place of pain, where the flowers are dying, and the leaves are falling.

Dennis' poems seamlessly weave together the sensory and the intellectual, offering a nuanced exploration of the human experience that encompasses both the joys and sorrows of life.

Language as a Sacred Vessel

Dennis' masterful use of language is an integral part of his poetic vision. His language is both precise and evocative, carefully chosen to convey the complexities of human emotion and experience. In "The Word," he writes:

The word is a sacred thing. It can create and destroy. It can heal and wound.

Dennis views language as a potent force, capable of shaping the world around us and influencing our perceptions of reality. His poems demonstrate the power of language to illuminate the darkness, to express the inexpressible, and to transcend the limitations of the mundane.

Carl Dennis' Practical Gods is a profound and moving collection of poems that invites us to reconsider our understanding of the divine, the mundane, and the human experience itself. Through his exploration of the sacred in the everyday, his grappling with doubt and belief, his masterful use of sensory detail, and his reverence for language, Dennis paints a captivating poetic tapestry that resonates with readers on a deeply personal level.

As we navigate the complexities of modern life, Dennis' Practical Gods serves as a timeless reminder of the importance of finding moments of transcendence in the most ordinary of circumstances, of embracing the paradoxes of our existence, and of cherishing the transformative power of the human word.

Practical Gods (Penguin Poets)

by Carl Dennis

4.4 out of 5