Renowned poet Jane Hirshfield transported an ensnared audience at Seattle’s Rainier Arts Center on a meditative journey through nature and humanity during an intimate poetry reading Monday evening.

As the lights dimmed in the cozy theater, opening performances from local musician Sid Smith and student poet Linus Elkins warmed up the crowd for Hirshfield’s introspective verses. When she took the podium, Hirshfield immediately captivated the audience, bringing poems from 50 years of poetry, and her nine published books to life through lucid imagery and steady cadence.

In between readings, Hirshfield displayed wit with amusing anecdotes that made it feel as if she was speaking to each attendee individually. During the poems, only the occasional creak of seats could be heard as the spellbound audience absorbed her eloquent lyrical lines reflecting on the natural world, human bonds and the passage of time.

Susan Rich, a professor at Highline College and published poet, who attended with four students remarked that, “Hirshfield’s masterful stage presence and delivery brought the poems alive in a new way, like hearing your favorite song at a concert.” 

Rich said she watched her students “light up” as Hirshfield communicated the verses. A student told Rich after the reading that while listening to Hirshfield they forgot they were listening to a poem. This is just one example of what Hirshfield brings to contemporary poetry.

Rich explained that she has loved Hirshfield’s poetry for over two decades, having read with her before. In Rich’s view, Hirshfield has a distinct voice – deceivingly simple and wise. The poem that drew Rich to Hirshfield’s work was “What Binds Us.” Rich said it was like hearing a favorite song live to hear Hirshfield read that piece. The reading was a mix of familiar and new poems.

According to Rich it’s best to hear a poem in the poet’s own voice. Beyond contextual introduction, you notice pauses and emphasis. For Rich as a professor, it was thrilling to bring students to their first live poetry reading and watch them light up as Hirshfield artistically recited her verses. In Rich’s view, hearing the poet read and discuss their work in an intimate setting changes everything – it’s the way poetry was meant to be communicated. 

Rich advised students new to poetry readings to be open to the experience, checking out the poet’s work beforehand. Think of it like a play or movie, she suggested – just take in the experience. Resisting or assuming it won’t be for you defeats the purpose. It’s about finding a relationship with poetry and art, not one’s background.

Over the years, Rich has seen Hirshfield’s major themes and talents evolve. Initially closer to her Buddhist roots, Hirshfield’s poems still retain that grounding but have moved toward climate and political activism. In Rich’s impression, the audience responded with great engagement and delight to Hirshfield’s reading. Many seemed to have loved the poet’s work for a long time, with some newcomers as well. But the overall energy was receptive, like the audience was fully receiving Hirshfield’s words.

For Rich, it was magical to follow a poet’s work over decades and see their evolution while retaining a commitment to intimate communication. Though never formally taught by Hirshfield, Rich feels her poetry has been a mentor that has taught her a lot. Hearing Hirshfield’s beloved poems come alive through her voice gifted Rich an entirely new appreciation.

As Hirshfield’s last verse concluded, a long awaited applause erupted from the audience and filled the theater – proof of poetry’s power to profoundly move audiences by illuminating shared human experiences. Leaving the arts center, I felt gratitude for having witnessed a master poet evolve in her craft in one reading while retaining a commitment to intimate communication. Hearing Hirshfield’s poems come alive through her voice left me with an entirely new appreciation for her work.