The Wild Iris Resources

In addition to summarizing the poet's many achievements, this site offers some trippy reflections on Glück's "dark subjects" and the "dreamlike quality" of her poems.

If you're a fan of "The Wild Iris," go crazy exploring all her other writings listed here.

If you feel like donning a tweed jacket, check out this essay, which is sure to make you feel all warm and scholarly inside.

In this video of a panel discussion, Gluck puts an interesting spin on the ideas of dangers and difficulty in poetry, noting that poets always run the risk of "self-delusion." So poets need therapy?

Beautiful photography, though we're not sure about the music. What do you think?

This hand-drawn animation integrates printed text of "The Wild Iris" with musical accompaniment and original art. We like the music better on this one—how about you? Apparently a student produced this beautiful video as an assignment for an English class. In other words, Shmoopers, you'd better step up your game.

Does her reading alter your own interpretation of the poem in any way?

Hey Iris, what's with the weird stick?

This is one of the most common varieties of wild iris, the blue flag.

Here's a whole field of 'em.

This website displays a drawing of an iris and a photograph of an iris. Like poetry, visual art creates a mood. What do you think the mood of this drawing is? What about the photograph? Are they similar or totally different? And what about the mood of the poem? Which mood is it closer to—that of the drawing or that of the photograph?

Read this interview to learn more about her philosophy concerning leather jackets.

Get the scoop on Glück's intentions and goals as a poet, including her decision to alternate among three speakers in The Wild Iris collection.

If you loved "The Wild Iris," keep reading. The rest of the poems in the collection, entitled The Wild Iris, may influence your interpretation of the title poem.

If you'd like to dive deep into the ideas of "The Wild Iris" and other poems by Louise Glück, check out this thoughtful, detailed commentary by Daniel Morris in The Poetry of Louise Glück: A Thematic Introduction.