Call and Response: Claude Wilkinson's Poems of Praise.

This article focuses on the poetry and artistic work of Claude Wilkinson, an award-winning poet and painter from Nesbit, Mississippi, whose five poetry collections—Reading the Earth (1998), Joy in the Morning (2004), Marvelous Light (2018), World Without End (2020), and Soon Done with the Crosses (2023)—interweave themes of nature, spirituality, and visual art. Wilkinson's poetry is noted for its musicality, ekphrastic engagement with visual arts, and a deep exploration of the spiritual implications of the natural world, often drawing on Christian imagery and African American cultural contexts. His work has received critical acclaim, including the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award and a Whiting Award, and is recognized for its distinctiveness beyond regional or racial categorizations. The article highlights Wilkinson's deliberate craftsmanship, his blending of traditional and free verse forms, and his nuanced treatment of themes such as loss, hope, and the human condition through the lenses of nature, art, and faith.