Robert morgan gap creek biography of william

“Two Valentines are actually described in the early church, but they likely refer to the same man — a priest in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. According to tradition, Valentine, having been imprisoned and beaten, was beheaded on February 14, about , along the Flaminian Way. Sound romantic to you? How then did his martyrdom become a day for lovers and flowers, candy and little poems reading Roses are red… ? According to legends handed down, Valentine undercut an edict of Emperor Claudius. Wanting to more easily recruit soldiers for his army, Claudius had tried to weaken family ties by forbidding marriage. Valentine, ignoring the order, secretly married young couples in the underground church. These activities, when uncovered, led to his arrest. Furthermore, Valentine had a romantic interest of his own. While in prison he became friends with the jailer’s daughter, and being deprived of books he amused himself by cutting shapes in paper and writing notes to her. His last note arrived on the morning of his death and ended with the words “Your Valentine.” In February 14 was named in his honor. By this time Christianity had long been legalized in the empire, and many pagan celebrations were being “christianized.” One of them, a Roman festival named Lupercalia, was a celebration of love and fertility in which young men put names of girls in a box, drew them out, and celebrated lovemaking. This holiday was replaced by St. Valentine’s Day with its more innocent customs of sending notes and sharing expressions of affection. Does any real truth lie behind the stories of St. Valentine? Probably. He likely conducted underground weddings and sent notes to the jailer’s daughter. He might have even signed them “Your Valentine.” And he probably died for his faith in Christ.”
&#; Robert Morgan, On This Day: Amazing and Inspiring Stories about Saints, Martyrs and Heroes

American writer

Robert Morgan (born ) is an American poet, short story writer, and novelist.

Life

He studied at North Carolina State University as an engineering and mathematics major, transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an English major, graduating in , and completed an MFA degree at the University of North Carolina Greensboro in

He has taught at Cornell University since , and was appointed Professor of English in

Awards

Bibliography

Poetry

Collections

• Zirconia Poems. Northwood Narrows, New Hampshire: Lillabulero Press,
• The Voice in the Crosshairs. Ithaca, New York: Angelfish Press.
• Red Owl. New York: Norton,
• Land Diving. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Trunk & Thicket. Fort Collins, Colorado: L’Epervier Press,
• Groundwork. Frankfort, Kentucky: Gnomon Press,
• Bronze Age. Emory, Virginia: Iron Mountain Press,
• At the Edge of the Orchard Country. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press,
• Sigodlin. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press.
• Saints on islands: poems. Indigo. ISBN&#;.
• Green River: New and Selected Poems. Hanover, New Hampshire: University Press of New England,
• Wild Peavines: New Poems. Frankfort, Kentucky: Gnomon Press,
• Topsoil Road: Poems. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Morgan, Robert (). The Strange Attractor: New and Selected Poems. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Terroir. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN&#;.
• Dark Energy. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN&#;.

List of poems

• "OPTION", The Atlantic, October
• "Wind From a Waterfall", The Atlantic, September
• "Girdling", The Atlantic, December
• "Holy Cussing", Southern Poetry Review, Vol. 43

Reader Reviews

Read 16 More Reader Reviews

Write your own review!