Robert Pinsky, three-time U.S. Poet Laureate and founder of the Favorite Poem Project, delivered a public reading Tuesday that captured the attention of an audience of UHD students, faculty and staff.

Pinsky shared his insights on the importance of reading poetry aloud, identifying the audience as the true medium of the art form.

"A poem takes on new life each time it is read," said Pinsky. "Reading a poem affects one's primary understanding of its meaning. It's similar to music in that way. You cannot study a score if you haven't heard the song, and you cannot analyze a poem without having first read it aloud."

In demonstration of this philosophy, Pinsky read several works from his "Selected Poems," incorporating rhythm, unusual rhyming conventions, animated gestures and impromptu edits along the way.

The event closed with a question-and-answer session and book signing, which gave attendees an opportunity to chat with the poet about his work in the arts and in the community.