Viking 1965

poetry serlcs John Ciardi, Saturday Reur,ew poetry editor, wore two hats when he came to Portland State. Recep- tive audiences heard Ciardi the Dante translator and Ciardi the poet. On Dante, Ciardi maintained, the modern reader's difficulty stems from the differences in worlds. Contemporary audiences do not feel morality is coupled with the physical world, but to Dante these were uncompromisingly linked. Earlier, Ciardi the poet gently put down poetry which attempts to carry great social messages. "Poetry is fun," he said, chiding the poet who "sells his soul for a pot of message." Ciardi's appearance was the apex of a nine-program poetry series which drew poets to PSC.