“A Way of Arriving” – Paying Tribute to Rachel Wetzsteon

Introductory essay to a series of tributes in commemoration of the poet Rachel Wetzsteon. Despite the personal despair that led to Wetzsteon’s suicide, the essay points to an element of celebration in her poetry, in particular in her urban poems. As Adam Kirsch has pointed out, Wetzsteon’s poetry affirms the “city’s true glamour”. It is the fact that her third volume, Sakura Park, is so firmly rooted in the reality of contemporary New York that makes it so much more successful than its two predecessors. In particular, the essay points to her depiction of the seasons in the city, showing how the imagery of “outer weather” is central to her poetry. The essay concludes with a presentation of the other contributors to the tribute to Wetzsteon.