The years of our friendship: Robert Lowell and Allen Tate

506 Pages·1990·1.17 MB·English

by  William Doreski

The Years of Our Friendship : Robert
title:
Lowell and Allen Tate
author: Doreski, William.
publisher: University Press of Mississippi
isbn10 | asin: 0878054294
print isbn13: 9780878054299
ebook isbn13: 9780585162645
language: English
Lowell, Robert,--1917-1977--Criticism and
interpretation, Lowell, Robert,--1917-1977--
Friends and associates, Friendship--United
subject
States--History--20th century, Tate, Allen,-
-1899- --Friends and associates, Tate,
Allen,--1899- --Influence, Poets, American-
publication date: 1990
lcc: PS3523.O89Z65 1990eb
ddc: 811/.52
Lowell, Robert,--1917-1977--Criticism and
interpretation, Lowell, Robert,--1917-1977--
Friends and associates, Friendship--United
subject:
States--History--20th century, Tate, Allen,-
-1899- --Friends and associates, Tate,
Allen,--1899- --Influence, Poets, American-
Page iii
The Years of Our Friendship
Robert Lowell and Allen Tate
William Doreski
Page iv
Copyright © 1990 by the University Press of Mississippi
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
93 92 91 90 4 3 2 1
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.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Doreski, William.
The years of our friendship / William Doreski.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-87805-429-4 (alk. paper) : $30.00
1. Lowell, Robert, 1917-1977Criticism and interpretation.
2. Lowell, Robert, 1917-1977Friends and associates. 3. Tate,
Allen, 1899Friends and associates. 4. Tate, Allen, 1899
InfluenceLowell. 5. Poets, American20th century
Biography.
I. Title.
PS3523.089Z65 1990
811'.52dc20
[B] 89-49308
CIP
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication data available
Page v
Acknowledgements and Permissions
I would like to thank Don Keck Dupree, James Randall, A. Walton
Litz, Louis D. Rubin, Jr., and Carole Doreski for their suggestions,
information, and encouragement. A grant from the Whiting
Foundation and a summer stipend from the National Endowment for
the Humanities helped fund my research and travel.
Sections of chapters 1 and 2 appeared in somewhat different form in
the Southern Literary Journal. I am grateful to Louis D. Rubin, Jr., for
publishing this material and for permission to reprint.
Special acknowledgement is made to the following libraries for the
use of material from their collections: Houghton Library, Harvard
University; Firestone Library, Princeton University; Harry N. Ransom
Humanities Center, University of Texas at Austin.
Previously unpublished material by Robert Lowell, copyright © 1990
by Caroline Lowell, Harriet Lowell, and Sheridan Lowell, is used by
permission of Frank Bidart, literary executor for the estate of Robert
Lowell.
Previously unpublished material by Allen Tate, copyright © 1990 by
Helen H. Tate, is used by permission of Helen H. Tate, literary
executor for the estate of Allen Tate.
Previously unpublished material by Jean Stafford, copyright 1990 by
Josephine Monsell, is used by permission of Russell & Volkening,
Inc., agent for the estate of Jean Stafford.
The following material is reprinted by permission of Farrar,

Page vi
Straus and Giroux, Inc.: selections from Collected Prose by Robert
Lowell, copyright © 1987 by Caroline Lowell, Harriet Lowell, and
Sheridan Lowell; selections from Day by Day by Robert Lowell,
copyright © 1975, 1976, 1977 by Robert Lowell; selections from The
Dolphin by Robert Lowell, copyright © 1973 by Robert Lowell;
selections from For the Union Dead by Robert Lowell, copyright ©
1956, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964 by Robert Lowell; selections
from History by Robert Lowell, copyright © 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970,
1973 by Robert Lowell; selections from Imitations by Robert Lowell,
copyright © 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 by Robert Lowell; selections
from Notebook 1967-1968 by Robert Lowell, copyright © 1967, 1968,
1969 by Robert Lowell; selections from Phaedra translated by Robert
Lowell, translation copyright © 1960, 1961 by Robert Lowell;
selections from Selected Poems by Robert Lowell, copyright © 1944,
1946, 1947,1950,1951, 1956, 1959, 1960,1961, 1962,1963,1964,1965,
1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1973, 1976, and renewal copyright ©
1972, 1974, 1975 by Robert Lowell; selections from Collected Poems
by Allen Tate, copyright © 1952, 1953, 1970, 1977, and renewal
copyright 1959, 1960, 1965 by Allen Tate.
The following material is reprinted by permission of Harcourt, Brace,
Jovanovich, Inc.: excerpts from "Christmas in Black Rock," "The
Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket," "Christmas Eve under Hooker's
Statue,'' "At the Indian Killer's Grave," and "The Crucifix" from Lord
Weary's Castle, copyright © 1946, 1974 by Robert Lowell; excerpt
from "Mother Marie Therese" from The Mills of the Kavanaughs,
copyright © 1946, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1974, 1975 by Robert Lowell.
Passages from The Poetry Reviews of Allen Tate, 1924-1944, edited
by Ashley Brown and Frances Neel Chaney, are reprinted by
permission of Louisiana State University Press, copyright © 1983 by
Louisiana State University Press.

Page vii
The years of our friendship seemed to roll through me the
other night as the hours went and I hope my sobriety didn't
hide my strong feelings. . . .
Robert Lowell to Allen Tate
7 November 1961
Page ix
Contents
Introduction 3
1 12
Tate and Lowell in the Thirties
2 39
Benfolly, Monteagle, and Beyond
3 75
Literary Peers
4 104
Mastery and Madness
5 133
Translation or Imitation?
6 163
Public Voices
Epilogue 196
Notes 221
Bibliography 231
Index 243