This talk by Bruce Beasley, the 2026 Ferrol Sams Jr. Distinguished Chair in English, will be an exploration of how to read poems through emotion, sensation, and association and how not to let even a “hard” poem intimidate you. Bruce Beasley is the author of nine poetry collections and the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Artist Trust of Washington. Originally from Macon, he is Emeritus Professor of English at Western Washington University, where…