Incense Man
Black, incense man
Passed the house
I called after him
And…
Samuel Menashe (September 16, 1925 – August 22, 2011) was a distinguished American poet, celebrated for his concise and introspective verse. Born in Manhattan, New York City, to Russian-Jewish immigrants, he demonstrated early literary promise. Menashe served in the U.S. Army infantry during World War II, participating in gripping campaigns such as the Battle of the Bulge. Post-war, he capitalized on the G.I. Bill to study at the Sorbonne in Paris, where he immersed himself in literary culture.
Menashe's poetry career surged in the 1950s when he began garnering attention for his minimalist, philosophical poems which often explored themes of existence, perception, and the passage of time. His first book, "No Jerusalem But This," was published in 1961. Unlike many poets of his era, Menashe's work remained relatively undiscovered until the Poetry Foundation awarded him the Neglected Masters Award in 2004, leading to greater recognition.
His collected works, compiled as "Samuel Menashe: New and Selected Poems," showcase his unique ability to fuse profound depth with brevity. Menashe's legacy is one of a poet who could capture the human condition with striking economy of language. He continued to write until his death in 2011, leaving behind a rich trove of poetry that continues to captivate readers with its purity and insight.