Finalist, 2022 Miller Williams Poetry PrizeIn a voice at times electrified by caustic cynicism, at other times stripped bare by grief, Casey Thayer’s Rational Anthem offers wry tribute to “the greatest country God could craft with the mules he had / on hand.” In seeking to tell the story of the ragged world around him, Thayer examines the links among flag-waving populism, religious fervor, and toxic masculinity. Here male intimacy—among childhood friends, ...

Casey at the Bat by Ernest Thayer is a classic American poem about Mudville's baseball team, trailing in the final inning. With two outs, the crowd's last hope rests on the mighty Casey. Confidence fills the air as he steps up to bat. He lets the first two pitches pass, striking twice. On the final pitch, he swings-but misses! The crowd is left in stunned silence. This timeless narrative captures the drama of sports, the highs of hope, and the crushing weight of failure, making it...

Considered the greatest baseball poem of all time, "Casey at the Bat" is the beloved tale of the Mudville Nine, a hapless baseball club entering the ninth inning of a ballgame down two runs and with little hope of succeeding...unless their star slugger Casey can manage to get a turn at the plate. With two outs, the outlook is grim but...when the two players preceding Casey manage to get on base, the stage is set for a grand finale, giving the citizens of Mudville hope that their hero can s...

Considered the greatest baseball poem of all time, "Casey at the Bat" is the beloved tale of the Mudville Nine, a hapless baseball club entering the ninth inning of a ballgame down two runs and with little hope of succeeding...unless their star slugger Casey can manage to get a turn at the plate. With two outs, the outlook is grim but...when the two players preceding Casey manage to get on base, the stage is set for a grand finale, giving the citizens of Mudville hope that their hero can s...

"The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day; the score stood four to two with but one inning more to play." Thus begins one of the most famous poems in American history: Ernest L. Thayer's Casey at the Bat. When the powerful Mudville baseball team enters the ninth inning of their game behind by two runs, things seem pretty grim. And when the first two batters make outs, it looks like their best player, the mighty Casey, won't even get a chance to win the game for them. The...