David Whyte is a Remarkable Poet

David Whyte is probably my favorite contemporary poet. I've met him through Maria Popova reviewing his book Consolations. Since then his work crossed my path several times. For example his audio book of Consolations was released as course on Waking Up. Every time I end up being touched by his words, by his voice, and interestingly by his masterful technique to recite his poems.

For starters he has a stunning voice. But what stands out to me, is how he uses repetition as technique to emphasize parts of his poems. This has a profound impact on me. It gives me a space to let it sink in and highlights the weight of the sentence. Repeating words, phrases or scenes could very well be the equivalent of highlighting written text. I'm sure this technique is underutilized in presentations, podcasts, audiobooks or even videos as a. Repeat the parts that matter.

I've recently discovered this video titled Refuge and it touched me. In a time of war and refuge debates, it is a great reminder that at time we all need refuge in our lives. David Whyte has a Substack now, where he releases his existing work for free and new work for paid subscribers.