Ted Kooser’s Journey Beyond the Pastoral

Ted Kooser, former US Poet Laureate, was the first poet to be published by Pulley Press with his 2021 chapbook, A Man With a Rake. Written from the 62-acres of wooded hills in rural Nebraska that he calls home, these selections of poetry draw raw and unexpected portraits from everyday country life. Known for the accessible, refreshing clarity of his language, Kooser pulls the reader in with his fluid observations, then uncovers new meaning in imagery that some would dismiss as pastoral.

Along with the work of many rural poets before him and the many others that will follow, Kooser’s work challenges stereotypical perceptions of rural communities. In his poem titled, “A Glint,” he likens the climb of “morning sunlight” up a thread of “spider silk” to an instrument being tuned. This intricate, gentle image embodies the unending hope and potential of a new day as Kooser writes

What I could see was music,
not melody but one clear, shining note
plucked over and over, as if the sun
were tuning the day, then handing it
to me so I could be the one to play it.

This image from a peaceful rural morning, once small and easily forgotten, becomes a lasting testament to the idea that each morning is a gift.

Throughout his poems, Kooser shows a continued fascination with similar natural images. A fox trotting through a graveyard takes on a goddess-like character, commanding the world to yield to her, in Kooser’s poem, “A Fox,” demonstrating the power nature has to strike awe into its onlookers. In another poem titled “Moon Shadows,” an oak tree outside of Kooser’s window composes a mysterious letter in the light of the moon that is nowhere to be found in the morning, illustrating the transitory artistry of the natural world, and our failure to comprehend it.

Along with the meaningful beauty of his surrounding landscape and the abundant wildlife that frequents it, Kooser is also inspired by the people he sees in his rural community. 

Many of Kooser’s images of people are half sketched in passing, but they convey a certain unifying curiosity and understanding. In his chapbook’s title poem, he describes the figure of a man, explaining

Before this he’d been watching the rake
tick around clockwise, minute to minute,
a fine afternoon passing forever away,
but he’s figured out how to slow it
all down, both hands clasped on the end
of the second-hand, holding it back.

With this image of “a man with a rake,” Kooser captures the human longing to be able to hold back time in a fast moving world. These brief encounters leave a more significant impression than their mere appearance would suggest, which is something Kooser is incredibly skillful at capturing.

A Man With a Rake is now available for purchase here.