Locating Utopia in Poetry
Locating Utopia in Poetry

Summary/Abstract: The contemporary canon of utopian writing includes primarily philosophical works and narrative prose; nevertheless, utopias have appeared in the form of poetry as well. The article begins by sketching the relationship of utopia and poetry. Subsequently, it focuses on two poems with a utopian vision at their center – Jorie Graham ’ s “The Guardian Angel of the Little Utopia” (1997) and Elizabeth Bishop ’ s “Santarém” (1978) – with regard to the particular locations of utopia in these poems. Although these poems cannot be considered representative – as the article highlights in the conclusion by drawing attention to Nikki Giovanni and Charles Bernstein – they suggest a variety of utopian locations in poetry.

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