16 pages • 32 minutes read
Stephen DobynsA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
“Over a Cup of Coffee” by Stephen Dobyns
This poem is a useful comparison to “Loud Music”: both begin in the mundane and then delve into philosophical questions about existence. Written in similarly long lines, “Over a Cup of Coffee” is also useful for better understanding Dobyns’s style.
“On the Way to Work” by Stephen Dunn
Born in 1939, just two years before Dobyns, Stephen Dunn is a contemporary to Dobyns and an important poet to consider when analyzing Dobyns’s work. Dunn also writes about everyday topics, such as going to work, using the everyday as a jumping off point into the philosophical or abstract. “On the Way to Work” is no exception; it chronicles seeing a bumper sticker that spurs existential thoughts.
“White Dog” by Carl Phillips
Carl Phillips, born in 1959, writes in a very different style—short lines with abrupt turns of phrase and arresting syntax. “White Dog” offers an interesting contrast to Dobyns’s work for these rhythmical and formal reasons.
"Stephen Dobyns: Part I" and "Stephen Dobyns: Part II" in The Cortland Review
In these in-depth interviews, Stephen Dobyns shares his journey to becoming a writer and his thoughts on poetic form, the importance of music and rhythm in his long lines, and revision.