Poem of the Week: “The Names of the Rapids” by Jonathan Holden

vprThe VPR Poem of the Week is Jonathan Holden’s “The Names of the Rapids,” which appeared in the Fall/Winter 2000-2001 issue (Volume II, Number 1) of Valparaiso Poetry Review.

Jonathan Holden is University Distinguished Professor and Poet-in-Residence at Kansas State University. He is the author of seventeen books, including poetry, criticism, a memoir, and a novel. He has won the Vassar Miller Prize in Poetry, the Juniper Prize, the AWP Award, two National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowships, as well as several other awards and prizes.

Tuesday of each week “One Poet’s Notes” highlights an excellent work by a poet selected from the issues of Valparaiso Poetry Review, except when other posts with news or updates preempt the usual appearance of this item, with the recommendation that readers revisit it. Please check the sidebar to view the list of poets and works that have been past “Poem of the Week” selections. Additionally, readers are reminded that VPR pages are best read with the browser font preference in which they were set, 12 pt. Times New Roman, in order to guarantee the stanza alignment and the breaks of longer lines are preserved.