In these words, poet Walter Donway calls for a revival of the idealism and principle that once made America synonymous with liberation of the human spirit. Typically, the verse is traditional in form, with the cadence and music that made poetry popular and powerful through the ages.

There is no “free verse” here, no deliberate difficulty, no rejection of popular poetic values such as rhyme. And yet, Walter Donway is contemporary in his subjects. In these words, he brings to life the famous poster of the Tienanmen Square uprising:

His poetry is always challenging, not because the reader must decipher it, but because his subjects are serious, his thought incisive: the conflicts of lovers, the psychology of art, the shame of such different historical events as 9/11 and the Yalta war conference, dilemmas raised by brain science, the unheralded greatness of the builders of America, and many more.

His long narrative poem, “A Sense of Life” explores what makes romantic love and art profound revelations of the human spirit. His verse play, “Naked,” is a dramatic and bitter commentary on our society's need to revel in the misfortune of the successful.

From such concerns, though, the poet moves easily to the most intimate feelings. In his poem, “To Ethan,” he writes:

But, today, my son,
You do not cry. When you have loved and lost,
Possessing, knowing, ruling all—then none--
You weep, and weep in pain that's yours alone.

Here are poems to be embraced by all who love the music of language that ignited our interest in poetry as children, all who have thrilled to the great romantic poets, and all who long for poetry in the great tradition that also speaks to today.