Understanding Poetry: An Anthology for College Students

704 Pages·1938·7.56 MB·English

by  Cleanth Brooks

UNDERSTANDING POETRY
AN ANTHOLOGY FOR COLLEGES TUDENTS
BY
CLEANTBHR OOKSJ,R .
AND
ROBERPTE NNW ARREN
THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
NEWY ORK
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY
COPYR1I9G83H,T ,
BY
HENHROYL ATN CDO MPAINNYC,.
RepriJnutne1e9d,3,9
PRINITNTE HDE
UNITSETDAO TFEA SM ERICA
TO
WILLIAMA .R EAD
Thee ditoofrt sh ibso owki stho a cknowlae ddegeeip n ­
debteesdtsno t hfeo llopweirnsgfo onersn coureangaten md
assistanceB:r oBnesorofttn hr,Uea n nidv erofsC iatlyi fornia;
Donald DaovfVi adnsdoenrU,bn iilvte rEsdiwtayr;d Davison,
oft heUn iverosfCi otlyo raRdoob;erB t. H eilmoafnt ,h e
LouisiSatnaatU en iversWiatlyt;oR n. P atriocfkt ,h e
LouisSitaanUtane i ver/soihtCnyr ;o wRea nsoomfK, e nyon
CollAelgleTe;an t oeft, h Weo manC'osl loeftg heUe n iversity
ofN ortCha rolainndaM ;a rkV anD oreonf, Columbia
University.
LETTERT O THE TEACHER
Thisb ookh asb eenc onceiovnet dh ea ssumpttihoanit f
poetirswy o rtthe achaitna gli lti sw ortthe achaisnp go etry.
Thet emptattoim oank ea s ubstiftoturht peeo ema st hoeb ject
ofs tudiysu �uaolvleyr powerTihnesg u.b stiatruveta ersi ous,
butt hem oscto mmoonn easr e:
Paraphorfal soeg iacnadln arractoinvtee nt.
I.
Studoyfb iograpahnidhc iaslt orical materials.
2.
Inspiraatnidod niadla citnitce rpretation.
3·
Ofc ourpsaer,a phmraaysb ee n ecessaasar pyr elimisntaerpy
int her eadionfag p oema,n da s tudoyft heb iograpahnidc al
h!g_oricaL_bacmkagyz:d qomu uncd ht oc lariinftye rpretation;
butd_t �_se_tshhionug�Jsd_e c oJ!siclaes�m .eeadnasn.d n o.ta. s
suds. Andt houognhe m ayc onsiadp eore m aanis n staonfc e
historoirce atlh icdaolc umentatthiepo one,m i ni tseilff ,
literaitstu orb ee s tudiaesld i terature,fi narletlmhyae i ns
objefcotrs tudyM.o reoveevre,in f t hei nteriesis ntt he
poema sa histoorirec tahli dcoaclu metnhte,ri esa pricoorn ­
sideraotnieom nu:s tg rastph ep oema sa litercaornys truct
befoirtce a no ffearn yr eaill luminaasta i doonc ument.
Whena,s a mattoefrf acatn,a ttemipsmt a det ot retahte
poema sa no bjeicnit t setlhfre,e suvletro yf tiesno, n t hoen e
handt,h ev aguessotro tfi mpressicoonmimsetniotcr,o nt he
othetrh,es tudoyf c ertatienc hniacsaple cotfts h ep oem,
metrifcosir n stainncie s,o laftriooomtn h aesrp eacntdf; r om
thteo tianlt ention.
Ini llustroaftt hieoscneo nfusaepdp roacthote hses tudy
ofp oettrhyee ditsourbsm tihte f ollowqiunogt atdiroanwsn
almoasttr andofmr oamg rouopfc urretnetx tbooks.
Thes olcriet icaLcommenLon-:'Ode._to_a�iNni ghting�lci'
onep opultaerx tbioso:k
"Thes onogf t hen ightinbgrailnsega sd neasnsde xhilara­
tiotno t hep oeatn dm akehsi ml ontgo b el iftuepda nd
iv
LETTTEORT HET EACHER
v
awayf romt hel imita.toilfo infseT .h es evensttha nza
IS
particubleaarultyi ful."
Int hsea mtee xtbaot oykp iecxaelr criesaed s:
"Whaetv idenocfae lso voefb eaudtoyy oufi ndi nK eats's
poems?"
Buto nei sc onstratiovn oeidtc hefe o llowing questions':
Isn ott her eaplo inotfi mportatnhcere e latoifot nh e
1.
paradoofx" exhilaraantd"i soand"n etsots h"et hemoef t he
poem?A sa m attoefrf actth,eq uestoifot nh eth emeo ft he
poem isn everra isientd h itse xtbook.
Thes evensttha nizasr efertroea ds" beautifbuulto, n"
2.
whatg rounidsst hes tudetnott a kaen yp iecoefpo etrays
"beautiful"?
Eveni ft hee xercqiusoet eidsr elevaanndti mportant,
3·
theriesa readla ngetrh atth es uggesttoit ohnes tudetnot
lookf obre autoibfjuelic ntt sh ep oemw iltle ntdo m akeh im
confutsheem entioonfb eautiofrua lg reeaobbljee citns
poetrwyi tpho eteixcc ellence.
Someo ft hes amec onfusrieoanpsp ieanar n othbeoro k:
"Thelsyer i[c"sO ..d.. et o_JI:tec_WWiensdat"n d" LLa_Sky}a.rk"]
arec haractebryia z ferde shnaensdss p ontanbeeiatuyt,i ful
figuroesfs peeicnha bundanmceel,o dayn,d a nu nusually
skillafdualp taotfit ohnef orma ndm ovemeonftt hev erse
tot hweo rda ndt hei deaT.h eimre lodiouisssn oemsest imes
comparweidtt hh aotfS chubemruts'isc ."
Buti nw hatf,o erx ampdloee,as b eautciofmupla ricsoonn­
sistT?h ei mplicaitsti hoatnth be eautciofmupla riissoo nne
whicmha keuss oef b eautoibfjuelc Atgsa.i wnh,e na s tudent
hasb eegni venno c oncreextpeo siotfit ohne" adaptaotfi on
forma ndm oveme.n.t. t ot hew orda ndt hei dea" a of
poema,n dh asr eceinvoei dn klionfwg h att he" ideoaf"a
particpuoleamir sw ,h aits s ucahs tatemeexnpte cttoem de an
toh im?
Ora gai"nT:o t hes impliacnidet xyq uismietleo diousness
oft heesaer lsioenrgB sl,a kaed demdy sticainsdtm h es ubtlest
kinodf s ymbolisOmn.ei" sm ovetdo c ommenItn:t hefi rst
LETTTEORT HE TEACHER
Vl
placteh,es tudecnatno nlbye m adet og rastph ef unction of
symboliisnpm o etbryyt hem ostc arefiunlv estigoaft ion
particiunlsatra ncceerst;a "itnhlseyu ,b tlkeisnotdf s ymbolism"
shounlodtb efl unga th imw itnho f urtihnetrr odutchtaino n
isp rovibdyet dh isse ntenIcnet .h es ecopnlda cweh,a tc an
thes entemnecaeno na nyl eveIls?i tp ropteors atyh aatn y
poe"ta ddsm"y stictiosa mn ythinAgn?d whats orotf
simpliicsii ttt owy h icshu btslyem bolciasnbm e a ddedD?o es
them elanrgemea isni mplAen?d w hatp ossicbolnen ection
isi mpliheedr bee twetehne " exquimseiltoed iousanneds s"
them ysticainsdms ymbolisImna? n yc asteh,e a pproach
top oetirnyd icaitnte hdis se nternaciesm eosr ep robltehmasn
its olves.
Tog lefarno amn othreerc etnetx tbo"oEk.:my_ i_l[.P_i�kinson]
thes eetre asuessi ntboe lievtihnasgth eh asd iveidn ttoh e
deptwhhse rger eattr utlhisae n dh asb rouguhptn ewa nd
astounding spMeacniymo efnh se.rb ulletfirnosmI m­
mortalsieteymo raculSahro.r onf h erm atchliemsasg ery
thetyu ronu tto b ep uritpalnat itourtd reasn scenedcehnoteasl.
Herd efinitoifow nesi ghatbys tracatrieuo nnpsh ilosophical.
Theya req uicfka ncicerse,a toeudto fa fleetimnogo da,n d
aret herefforreeq uently conBturtaw dhiecntE omriyl.y
failweidt hl ogisch,es ucceewdietdhi maginatiIotin s. "
impossible, taopd peatreernmftirlnoyemw, h atp rinciopfl es
poetcirci titchiesrsmee m arckasnb ed erivTehde.o bjection
thaEtm ilDyi ckinspoone'tswr hye n" shoorfni tmsa tchless
imagerwyo"u ltdu ronu tt ob ep latitcuoduelbsder aisweidt h
equajlu stificaabtoiuottnh em ostc elebrpaatsesda goefs
ShakespeTahreep .a ssargees otnsa misconceopftt ihoen
relatoif"o tnr uttohp "o etarnydo, n a c onfunsoetdi oofwn hat
conisttutpeose toirci ginaCleirttya.it nocl lya,r tihfeiy s soufe
"trutahn"dp oeteixcc elloerno cfeo ,r iginaanldip toye tic
excellweonuclebd,e a veraym bitiuonudse rtakbiunttg h;a t
facstc arcjeulsyt ificeosm plfeotgeg ionftg h ei ssue.
a
Q<;casiotnhaw�l rliyt ecotLexat�b owoikl-l�attedmepaLlt o.
�_iptp_eht_ar sya thinjgni �t selLw.o.o rf.is htyu dayn;d a p-
LETTTEORT HET EACHER
Vll
parenhtolpyi tnoga voitdh es orotfv aguenfeosusn idn t he
precedqiunogt atwiiolinls, o lcaetret aasipne ocftp so etry for
speciinavle stigIanti itocsnr .u dest manitfheiissmt ­ation
pullseea tdoss tatissutrivceaoylfos n ek inodr a notheTrh.e
studefnotir,n stainsce ex,h orttoec do unotr t oc lasstihfey
figureosfs peeicnha poemo;r t od efinmee trifcoarlm s.
Theriesa mores ophistmiacnaitfeeds toaftt hieso an mei m·
pulsaesf, o erx ampilnet ,h feo llowcilnags sifiocfam teitorni ­
caelff ects:
"Somoef t hvea rieeffde cptrso dubcyme edt earr iel lustrated
int hef ollowsitnagn zas:
Sweseot& ness-
Swifwtallyok ' etrhw ee stwearvne ,
SpiorfiN ti ght!
Outo f mtihsyet ays tcearvne ,
Wheraelt lhl eo nagn ldo ndea ylight,
Thowuo vedserta mosfj oayn fde ar,
Which mtahketesee rrainbdl ed,e ar-
Swibef tt hflyi ght!
-Shel'lTeoNy i,g ht'"
Stasrikm pl-icity
Outo ft hnei gthhtac to vemres,
Blaacskt hpei ftr opmo lteopo le,
thawnhka tegvoedmrsa yb e
I
Form yu nconquseorualb.l e
-Henl'elyn,v "i ctus'
Thea uthhoars s aiflda tlcyo ncerntihnegsq eu otattihoants
theeff ecdtess criabr"eepd r odubcyem de terT.h"e s tatement
isc omplemtiesllye aadnidnr ge sutpso na ni mperfuencdte r­
standoiftn hgre e latoifmo ent etrot hoet hfearc tionra ps o em.
A clevsetru dewnotu lidm mediactoenlfyu ttheea uthboyr
pointoiunttg h atth el in"eO,u to ft hym isteya stecranv e,"
them eteorfw hicihss upposteocd o mmunic"astoesf wte et­
nessa,n"dt hel in"eO,u to ft hen ightth acto vemres, t"h e
meteorfw hicihss uppotsoec do mmunic"astteas rikm plicity,"
haveex actthlseay m mee terI.nf achte,m ighpto inotu tt hat
�y metriecffaelc atrsec o mmotno s electwihoinccsho m-
01_!!nicate_verye�mdoitffieorneanlt effects.
LETTTEOR THE TEACHER
Vlll
Thiiss �noLto�_dtehnmayet J er:_j�_,anjmpor:tant_factor"in
p,oet_r:byu,t jjts_ _t _o_d enyt,h aat_ _s peciefimco,t ioenffaeLc cta_n
bet ieadb soluttoe.la .yp articmueltarri cianls tanTchee.
selectciiotndesodp roduce dieffmeorteinoten ffaelc tbsu,tt he
basfiostr h ee ffeccta no nlbye g iveanc curabtyea l syt udoyf
ther elatieoxniss taimnogn ga ltlh ef actorsw,h icomhfe ter
iso nloyn e.
Anotheirn staonfct eh ei solatoifoo nne t echnifceaalt ure
withoruetg arfdo rt hew holceo nteaxntd f ort hep articular
poetm'est hoids t hef ollowoibnsge rvaitnia o rne cetnetx t­
book:
"Hamle'tt'ask aer msa gainas ste ao ft roubliesas c'l assic
instaonfct eh ep oetf'asi lutrov ei sualwihzaeth ei ss aying.
Longfellmoawr'isn eirn', A P salomf L ife''s ailoi'nelgri fe's
solemmna ina'n da tt hes amet imea pparenetxlaym ining
'footprointn htess andosf t imei,sa' n otheexra mpolfec on­
fusepdh rasing."
Thisp assamgieg hbte t akeans a clasesxiacm ploeft he
misapplicoafta inou nn digesctreidt ical prWien-cfirpel­e.
quentsleye .tienx tbooonk.sp oeatnrdyi. nr hetorics.the.warn­
iQga_g ainthsetu._s e.oC'mimxeetda.p horB.u"to ,f c oursien,
applyitnhgip sr inciopnleme u sti,n e vercya seex,a mitnhee
conteoxftt h ei nstantcheep ,s ycholobgaisciaasnl,d t hep oet's
intentiTohne.s1fe a ctoarrsee ntirieglnyo riendt hep resent
quotatiFoonri. n statnhceed ,r amatsiict uatiinto hnep assage
froHm amlaentdt her elatoifto hnes tytloei ta rdei smisbsye d
theh igh-hanadnedda bstraapcptl icaotfit ohni psr inciple.
Incidentthailmsle yt howdo uledl imintahtefe o llowwienlgl
knownp assagaemso,n gm anyf,r omt hweo rko fS hakespeare:
Tomorraonwdt omorarnodwt omorrow
Creeipnst hipse tptayc fer odma yt od ay
Tot hlea ssytl la..b l e.. Macbeth
Ift haes sassination
Coultdr ammueptl h ceo nseqaunednc caet ch
Withhi ssu rcesauscec.,e . s s . Macbeth
1T hism atteorfm ixemde taphiosrd iscusastel de ngotnhp p.3 87-391.
LETTTEORT HET EACHER
lX
Wast hheo pder unk
Whereyionud resysoeudr shealtfih?ts lespitn ce?
And wakeistn owt,o l ooskog reeannd p al.e. .
Macbeth
Thec ritiincq uestiwoonu lda pparenbtele ym barrasbsye d
thei maginaatgiivleri etqyu irfeodrr eadimnugc ho fS hake­
spearpeo'est reys,p ecitahlelp yo etroyfh iss o-cal"lrgeeda t
periosdi,m"p bleyc auhseep lacheisrs e liaonnct eh em echani­
cala ndl egaliasptpilci caotfia o sni ngplrei nciwpilteh out
'
referetnocc oen text.
As a matteorfi ronifcaacltt h,e i magien volviendt he
speeqcuho tefdr omH amlceatnb ev isualiOzneedh .a so nly
tor emembtehre s toroifeX se rxeasn,dC. u chulaoinnew, h o
punishaendd o new hof oughtth es eat,o g rastph ep oint.
Furthermionrj eu,s ttioc" eTh eP salomf L ifew,h"i cihs o n
enougcho unat vse rbya dp oemo,n ec ani ndictahtaeat l ittle
morea ttentrievaed iwnigl rle vetahlef actth atth em ariner
whos eetsh ef ootpriisnn ottsa ctuaolnlt yh eh igshe aastt he
momentb,u ti sa,s t hep oems pecificsaalylasy ", h sipwrecked
brother."
Thee_d itoorCsth. e p resebnoto kh oldt haat satisfactory
metho_d_tq_efa �_hpionc:gt�rs yh�o uledm bodyt hef ollo_wing
P.riQc;:ipks.
Emphassihso ubledk epotn t hep oema sa poem.
(il
Thet reatment bsehc oounlcdr aentdei nductive.
8)
A poems houalldw abyest reaatsea dn o rgansiycs toefm
(11
relationasnhdit phsep, o etqiuca lity snheovueblred u nder­
stooadsi nheriinnog n eo rm oref acttoarkse inn i solation.
Witht heh opeo fg ivitnhge sper incispolmeevs i taltihtey
edithoarvsue n dertatkheibnso ok.
Thibso okm usts tanodrf albly t hea nalyofsi ensdi vidual
poemwsh iciht c ontaiTnhse.s aen alyarseie nst endteobd e
discussoifto hneps o eta'dsa ptatoifho inms e antso h ies nds:
thaits d,i scussoifto hners e latiooftn hse variouso faa spects
poemt oe acoht hearn dt ot het otcaolm municaitnitoenn ded.
Obvioustlhyea, n alypsreess enitnet dh ee arly seocftt hiiosn s
booka res implaen dv eriyn complaectceo unotfts h ep rob-
LETTTEORT HET,E ACHER
X
lemisn volvBeudt.t hea nalybseecso mmeo red ifficualstt h e
studeinspt r ovidweidt mho rec ritiapcpaalr aatnudsb ecomes
morea ccustotmoet dh em ethodT.h ea nalystehse,r efore,
formp artosfa na scendsicnagla en ds houlndo tb es tudied
haphazardly.
The generoarlg anizaotfit ohneb ooki s,li kewidsee­,
terminbeydt hissc aolfea scenddiinffigc ulIthye._ boQk�has
sey�ru�ivi�ionsS.e !=t..i .oIdu e alwsi th poienmw sh icthh e
narrateilveem enitsr elatiivmeployr tanPto.e mso ft his
genernaalt uraep peahre reb ecautshee n arrative interest
seemtso a ffortdh eb roadeasntdm ost unspecaipapleiazle d
tot heo rdinasrtyu denTth.e basiqcu estiboenh intdh e
analyisnet sh isse ctiioswn:h adti stingtuhipeso heettsir ce at­
menotf a s tofrryo tmh meo reu suparlo tsree atmSe_nc;t�? ­
ti®JI dealwsi thp oemsi nw hicthh en arratiisvm ee rely
implioerdi ss uppresisnfe adv oorfs omes ucihn teraests hta t
inp sycholoorgc yh aracter. takes anuopt haepr­
Se!=t!Qx:_dli
proacthh,a otf t hep oeats o bserrvaetrh tehra ans n arrator.
The materiianlt hisse ctiroann gefsr omp oemsw hich
ostensairbesl iym ploeb,j ectdievsec ripttoit ohnels a spto ems,
inw hicdhe scripetmieorng weist ah definistyem bolfiocr ce.
�ctiaLoV t akeusp o neo ft hem ores pecialtiezcehdn ical
probletmhsa,ot f t hen atuorfer hythamn dm etears m eans
ofc ommunicatTihoena .n alysients h isse ctinoant urally
.
emphasitzheet echniccoanls ideraotfvi eornssbe u,t t hea t­
tempits c onstanmtaldyet oi ndictahteer elatoifot nh ese
considerattoti hoeno st hewrhsi cthh es tudehnats a lready
studieldn._ "_Secatrieoc no�nVs idesroemdeo ft hew aysi n
whichto nea nda ttitaurdeec ommunicattoet dh er eader.
Thep oemosf S �ectionp�rVeIs esnotm es peciparlo bleimns
theu seo fi magearsya deviocfec ommunicatainodtn h,o se
of raisqeu esticoonnsc erntihnegf unctioofn
SectionVI I
ideaan ds tatement.
Althoutghhe p oemasr ea rrangientd h esger oupisti, sn ot
tob eu ndersttohoatdth et opiwchsi cdhe termtihn'eea rrange­
menta retr eatienid s olatAisoa n m.a ttoefr ftahceat n,a lyses