Poem 'Night' by Carl Phillips

Carl Phillips ’81, professor of English and of African and African American Studies at Washington University, delivers his Phi Beta Kappa poem, titled "Night," at the 218th Literary Exercises on Tuesday morning...

Carl Phillips ’81, professor of English and of African and African American Studies at Washington University, delivers his Phi Beta Kappa poem, titled "Night," at the 218th Literary Exercises on Tuesday morning.

Text copyright (c) 2008 Carl Phillips

Listen to the live audio recording.

Most popular

Harvard Announces Four University Professors

Catherine Dulac, Noah Feldman, Claudia Goldin, and Cumrun Vafa receive the University’s highest faculty distinction.

What Trump Means for John Roberts’s Legacy

Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

Explore More From Current Issue

Six women interact in a theatrical setting, one seated and being comforted by others.

A (Truly) Naked Take on Second-Wave Feminism

Playwright Bess Wohl’s Liberation opens on Broadway.

People gather near the John Harvard Statue in front of University Hall surrounded by autumn trees.

A Changed Harvard Faces the Future

After a tense summer—and with no Trump settlement in sight—the University continues to adapt. 

A person walks across a street lined with historic buildings and a clock tower in the background.

Harvard In the News

A legal victory against Trump, hazing in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, and kicking off a Crimson football season with style