Poetry as Survival PDF
Preview Poetry as Survival
Poetry as Survival The Life of Poetry POETS ON THEIR ART AND CRAFT Poetry as Survival GREGORY ORR The University of Georgia Press ATHENS & LONDON Published by The University of Georgia Press Athens, Georgia 30602 © 2002 by Gregory Orr All rights reserved Designed by Kathi Dailey Morgan Set in 10.5 on 13 Bembo by Bookcomp, Inc. Printed and bound by Thomson-Shore The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. Printed in the United States of America 10 09 08 07 06 p 7 6 5 4 3 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Orr, Gregory. Poetry as survival / Gregory Orr. vii, 235 p. ; 22 cm. — (The life of poetry) Includes index. isbn 0-8203-2427-2 (alk. paper) — isbn 0-8203-2428-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. English poetry — History and criticism. 2. American poetry — History and criticism. 3. Poetry. I. Title. II. Series. pr502 .o77 2002 821.009 — dc21 2002003603 Paperback isbn-13: 978-0-8203-2428-9 British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data available ISBN for this digital edition: 978-0-8203-4011-1 Contents Acknowledgments vii INTRODUCTION Everywhere and Always 7 PART ONE The Self, Jeopardy, and Song 1 Poised on a Mountain Peak, Floating on the Ocean 73 2 The Dinner Party and the Sailor at War 24 3 The Embodied Self 37 4 The Edge as Threshold 57 5 Bags Full of Havoc 59 6 The Two Survivals 8} 7 The Powers of Poetry 93 PART TWO Trauma and Transformation 8 The Dangerous Angel 7/7 9 Convulsive Transformation of the Overculture 733 10 Wordsworth and the Permanent Forms 141 11 Keats and the Ardor of the Pursuer 149 12 Whitman and the Habit of Dazzle 759 13 Dickinson and the Brain s Haunted Corridors 777 14 Wilfred Owen and the Horrors of War 182 15 The Quest and the Dangerous Path 189 16 Constellations and Medicine Pouches 204 APPENDIX A Sacred and Secular Lyric 209 APPENDIX B The Social Lyric and the Personal Lyric 273 APPENDIX c Incarnating Eros 225 Index 237 This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments A number of people have given me invaluable help in shaping and clarifying this book. Among those whose early en- couragement and advice were essential are Adrienne Rich, Sandra Gilbert, Mark Edmundsen, and Susan Gubar. Patricia Hampl and Mary Oliver read entire, earlier versions of this text and responded with astute comments and suggestions. Others whose responses were helpful include Alan Williamson, Carol Houck Smith, Richard Wertime, Steve Berg, Sam Hamill, and David and Joan Grubin. I also wish to thank Jen Chang for her assistance in checking quotes and Barbara Ras for her superb editing. vii This page intentionally left blank Poetry as Survival
The list of books you might like
