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Utah State University

Conference

2021

Spirituality

Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Queer Spirituality: Exploring The Poetry Of May Swenson, Sabrina Madsen Apr 2021

Queer Spirituality: Exploring The Poetry Of May Swenson, Sabrina Madsen

Student Research Symposium

My research is focused on how May Swenson displays her personal and spiritual beliefs through the use of nature-based and gender-queer poetry. I focus on four of Swenson's poems: 'The Centaur,' 'Women,' 'Let Us Prepare,' and 'Mornings Innocent,' describing how each poem contributes to her argument that true spirituality is found in free personal expression and the rejection of traditional societal, religious, and gender norms.


Finding Spirituality In May Swenson's Poetry, Hannah Mayers Apr 2021

Finding Spirituality In May Swenson's Poetry, Hannah Mayers

Student Research Symposium

May Swenson was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Logan, Utah. She eventually made the decision to to leave this church and find religion in her own poetry. Swenson explores many different religious questions in her poetry while staying secularly religious. She stays open to many different types of spirituality while relying heavily on the church she was raised in. Presentation Time: Thursday, 1-2 p.m. Zoom link: https://usu-edu.zoom.us/j/83585410381?pwd=KzdEOVc1WEhjVC9ZalpXNXVPdCtqQT09


May Swenson: Viewing Art As A Form Of Religion, Keenan Bryner Apr 2021

May Swenson: Viewing Art As A Form Of Religion, Keenan Bryner

Student Research Symposium

May Swenson, famous 20th Century poet and playwright, distanced herself from her LDS upbringing as her love of art and poetry grew. When reading her profound words within her poems, it is obvious that the teachings from her previous faith had not entirely left her. Swenson, with her positive outlook on life, developed her own form of religion through artistic creation. Presentation Time: Thursday, 12-1 p.m. Zoom link: https://usu-edu.zoom.us/j/83544115581?pwd=dllPNVdPZlVaNWljTWpEbGI3QXR3dz09


May Swenson And The Lds Religion: A Friendly Memory, Janae Ollerton Apr 2021

May Swenson And The Lds Religion: A Friendly Memory, Janae Ollerton

Student Research Symposium

May Swenson was an accomplished poet who was born to parents who were devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a young adult, she decided religion wasn't for her; however, some of her works show that her departure wasn't totally clean-cut. Through an examination of her life, her works, and other secondary sources, May Swenson will be revealed as not necessarily an LDS poet, but one who should be important to currently active members. Swenson may have left the religious institution, but she kept some of its doctrine close to her heart. Presentation Time: Wednesday, …


Margery Kempe's Attitudes About Sexual Intimacy, Erika Morrill Apr 2021

Margery Kempe's Attitudes About Sexual Intimacy, Erika Morrill

Student Research Symposium

The Book of Margery Kempe dictates the spiritual autobiography of one woman through her experiences in the 15th century as she strives to become a Catholic saint. In The Book of Margery Kempe, Margery’s relationship with sex and sexuality is a common theme throughout the text. One of the first challenges Margery faces in trying to become more Christ-like, is trying to remain chaste within her marriage. This vow to remain chaste is a conflict that Margery keeps returning to at different stages of her narrative. Margery experiences many different temptations throughout her account, despite her attempts to be more …


May Swenson And Using Poetry In The Form Of Self Discovery, Isabelle Quigley Apr 2021

May Swenson And Using Poetry In The Form Of Self Discovery, Isabelle Quigley

Student Research Symposium

“How did May Swenson use poetry to help discover who she wanted to be, and how she stayed true to herself?” May Swenson’s poetry represents a lot about who she was as a person, and the different views she carried. Studying Swenson and her life, we see she explored who she was after growing up in a Mormon family and widely Mormon society. Swenson didn’t stick to the religious standards she was taught as a young girl, but they helped her explore who she was and wanted to be. She wrote poetry continuously throughout her life, and many of her …


The Presence Of Spirituality In May Swenson's Poetry, Karcin Harris Apr 2021

The Presence Of Spirituality In May Swenson's Poetry, Karcin Harris

Student Research Symposium

May Swenson was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and because of that influence on her childhood the religion became a part of her identity and work. After leaving home, Swenson began to explore ways of life contrary to Latter-day Saint beliefs. She stopped attending church, took up smoking, had relationships, and tried new things. However, even after she stopped actively participating in the church, Swenson still had an interest in spirituality and religion, and wrote about those topics in her poems. Many of her poems feature thought-provoking descriptions of higher beings, man’s relationship to the …