Rainer Rilke and Oft-Tattooed Reasoning
Words by Jessie Kraemer Illustration by Megan Goldfarb “In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer, and ask yourself, must I write?” – Rainer Maria Rilke from “Letters to a […]
Rabble is Here
The second installment of Poictesme‘s chapbook, Rabble, is here. This publication features the extraordinary work of the ordinary people of VCU. This time around we focused on the chimerical, with stories, poetry, and art of the wildly fanciful and unrealistic. Copies are limited so come pick one up from VCU’s Student Media Center and from […]
Good Timing: An Interview with Claudia Emerson
From the Spring 2014 issue of Poictesme By Hannah Morgan Illustration by Megan Goldfarb If there was any doubt before, I know I really like a poet when an image of his or hers gets stuck in my head, like a song will. When I think of Wallace Stevens, I see columns of light […]
Thumb Movements
Pollice Verso is a painting by French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme that features the famous thumbs up or thumbs down gesture given to decide the fate of a defeated gladiator. In this case, the secutor has defeated the retiarius, two different types of gladiators that are often pitted against each other. The victor looks up to a group of vestals […]
Yeats and Otherworldly Inspiration
by Ishan Bose For many writers, inspiration can come from strange places, but W.B. Yeats takes the crown. One of the most notable influences on poetry of William Butler Yeats was his experiences and fascination with the occult and mysticism. “If I had not made magic my constant study I could not have written a […]