First published 2001
Randall Jarrell examines the state of American poetry in the decade following World War II. His critical essays champion neglected poets like Walt Whitman and Robert Frost while offering sharp assessments of contemporaries including Wallace Stevens, Marianne Moore, and William Carlos Williams. Jarrell argues for clearer standards in poetry criticism and questions whether American verse has developed its own distinct character. He celebrates the early work of Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop, predictions that proved accurate over time. The collection includes his influential thoughts on why modern poetry seems obscure to general readers and why the age of criticism has overtaken creative work. This edition adds two recently discovered lectures that explore poetry's structural elements and American literary identity. Jarrell writes as both practicing poet and critic, bringing insider knowledge to his evaluations while maintaining accessibility for general readers interested in understanding modern verse.
Genres: literature, essays, literary-criticism, american-fiction, 20th-century, american, criticism, academic
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-perspective
Period: Post-World War II
320 pages · Paperback · University Press of Florida