Review of "Stairway to Heaven" by Alison Hawthorne Deming

"Stairway to Heaven" by Alison Hawthorne Deming was offered by Poets.org's Poem-A-Day on January 24, 2014.  A link to the poem, including the poet's notes, may be found here:  http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/23844.

Alison Hawthorne Deming (b. 1946) is an Associate Professor in Creative Writing at the University of Arizona.  She directed the University of Arizona Poetry Center from 1990 to 2000.  Additional biographical information may be found here:

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/355?utm_source=PAD%3A+Stairway+to+Heaven+by+Alison+Hawthorne+Deming&utm_campaign=poemaday_012414&utm_medium=email

The poet reveals in her notes that "Stairway to Heaven" is an elegy to her brother who died in 2011.  The poem reveals that he died from cancer.

Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin is considered by many to be the greatest rock ballad of all time.  Robert Plant (pictured), referenced in the poem, wrote the lyrics, a recording and transcription of which may be found here:  http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/ledzeppelin/stairwaytoheaven.html.  Interesting facts about the song may be found here:  http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=328.