Two great waves of immigration occurred in the United States beginning in the 1840s. The first was the Irish, driven by the Great Potato Famine. The potato blight eventually eased, but Irish immigration continued; many were greeted by army recruiters during the Civil War – as soon as they stepped off the boat.
The second wave arrived beginning in the late 1840s, driven by unfavorable conditions at home and attracted by the potential wealth offered by California Gold Rush. This wave was the Chinese, who kept coming through the 1850s, and 1860s, and beyond. They helped to build the Transcontinental Railroad and worked in the mines of Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana.
In the East, the Irish often faced discrimination. In the West, the Chinese faced discrimination and violence.
Epic poetry isn’t exactly the fashion in literary circles these days, but match good poetry with a good story, and I suspect no one will mind whether its epic or not. This is what Teow Lim Goh has done with Bitter Creek: An Epic Poem. I don’t know how else one could tell this story poetically other than in an epic framework.
And what a story she tells.
To continue reading, please see my post today at Tweetspeak Poetry.
Some Tuesday Readings
The 2025 International Poetry Competition and The 2025 International High School Poetry Competition – Society of Classical Poets.
“Miniver Cheevy,” poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson – Sally Thomas at Poems Ancient and Modern.
A Little Contraband – poem by Malcolm Guite at New Grub Street.
English Poet John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ and 3 Great One-Liners – James Sale at The Epoch Times.
Open for Halloween Subs / Best of the Net Nominations – Steve Knepper at New Verse Review.
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