Born in Kirkwood, modernist poet Marianne Moore composed an ode to Mt. Rainier after a trip out West in 1922. Her poem, "An Octopus", can be found at the link below (it's a bit long for a blog post). The eponymous octopus refers to the shape of the several glaciers emanating from the peak's "head" when viewed from above:
https://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/marianne-moore/an-octopus/
For a bird's-eye view courtesy of a National Park Service map, have a look here:
https://www.nps.gov/mora/learn/nature/mount-rainier-glaciers.htm
And finally, to begin your deep dive into Marianne Moore's art through some commentary on "An Octopus", check out this wonderful mini-anthology of criticism from the University of Illinois' library on Modern American Poetry:
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps//poets/m_r/moore/octopus.htm
*a note for grammarians, pedants, and all who love words...while octopus looks like a Latin word that gets the -us/-i treatment for plural endings, it actually has a Greek root. Therefore, the funny sounding "octopuses" is correct, though since language is a living community of usages, "octopi" is generally acceptable as well. Use this knowledge for good, not ill...fun facts, not pedantry! :)
https://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/marianne-moore/an-octopus/
For a bird's-eye view courtesy of a National Park Service map, have a look here:
https://www.nps.gov/mora/learn/nature/mount-rainier-glaciers.htm
And finally, to begin your deep dive into Marianne Moore's art through some commentary on "An Octopus", check out this wonderful mini-anthology of criticism from the University of Illinois' library on Modern American Poetry:
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps//poets/m_r/moore/octopus.htm
*a note for grammarians, pedants, and all who love words...while octopus looks like a Latin word that gets the -us/-i treatment for plural endings, it actually has a Greek root. Therefore, the funny sounding "octopuses" is correct, though since language is a living community of usages, "octopi" is generally acceptable as well. Use this knowledge for good, not ill...fun facts, not pedantry! :)
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