Helen Chasin Poetry

Helen S. Chasin (1938–2015), an American poet, explored the turbulence of 1960s America through her poetry. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she won the Yale Younger Poets prize for her book “Coming Close and Other Poems.” Her work blends public and personal issues, reflecting the era’s civil rights movement, war, and societal shifts.

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The Word Plum

‘The Word Plum’ by Helen Chasin is a unique and interesting poem that asks readers to analyze language and experience. The poet focuses in on the word “plum” and what it evokes.

Helen Chasin's poetry, including this poem, is known for its ability to make ordinary things extraordinary through language. Chasin transforms the act of uttering a word or tasting a fruit into a sensory feast. This reflects her unique poetic style, which imbues ordinary experiences with profundity and sensual pleasure, leaving an enduring impact on the reader.

The word plum is delicious

pout and push, luxury of

self-love, and savoring murmur

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