For anyone wanting an elegant, accessible, thought-provoking exploration of poetry and its unique power to change minds as well as hearts, the texts collected here are less a golden bridle and more a gold mine. The Spectator
Exploring the tension between intellect and passion, this book delves into the contributions of poets from Anne Bradstreet to Adrienne Rich. It examines how these literary figures navigate the complexities of their craft, revealing insights into the interplay of emotion and reason in their poetry. Through this lens, the work highlights the evolution of poetic expression and the enduring relevance of these themes in the literary landscape.
Focusing on sixteen significant American poets from the postwar era, the study examines the evolution of poetry in the United States following Modernism. It delves into the unique contributions of each poet, exploring themes, styles, and the cultural context that shaped their work. Through in-depth analysis, the book highlights the diverse voices and innovations that emerged in American poetry during this transformative period.
Exploring the tension between intellect and passion, this book delves into the poetry of influential figures from Anne Bradstreet to Adrienne Rich. It examines how these poets navigate the complexities of their craft, revealing insights into their creative processes and the broader implications of their work. Through this analysis, the text highlights the enduring relevance of their contributions to literature and the ongoing conversation surrounding the balance of reason and emotion in poetic expression.
This volume features insights from seven esteemed critics, each offering unique perspectives on Wallace Stevens' significance in the development of Modernist poetry. The discussions explore his innovative techniques and thematic contributions, highlighting how his work has influenced the trajectory of poetic expression in the modern era.
This collection of essays, written for this volume and often using unpublished and archival materials, converges around the usually close and intense relationship between Robert Duncan and Denise Levertov, two of the most important and remarkable American poets in the second half of the twentieth century. Their association, played out in their poems and in an extraordinary exchange of letters, was based on a sense of the visionary imagination informing the direction and shape of the poet. However, they had a falling out during the Vietnam crisis over the relationship between poetry and politics, between the private and public responsibilities of the poet. Such issues are vital not only to their poetry and the poetry of that period but to contemporary poetry as well. A distinguished group of critics, led by Albert Gelpi and Robert J. Bertholf, examines the issues that drew Levertov and Duncan together, and split them apart, in a book that has the openness and coherence of an urgent, contemporary dialogue about the form and meaning of poetry.
The emergence of American Modernist poetry is explored as a response to nineteenth-century Romanticism, particularly through the lens of poets who matured during World War I. The book offers detailed analyses and close readings of key poems, presenting a thorough historical argument. With its comprehensive scope and nuanced insights, it stands as a significant contribution to the study of American poetry, promising to influence scholarly discourse for years to come.