The Catbird's Song: Prose Pieces, 1963-1995The Catbird's Song is a selection of prose pieces, on a variety of topics, by one of the most distinguished poets and translators of our times, Richard Wilbur. These lectures, letters, reviews, addresses, prefaces, and interviews-what Wilbur calls the "prose by-products of a poet's life"-not only reveal the ideas and concerns that inform his remarkable oeuvre but also offer fresh takes on the works and lives of poets we thought we knew, poets we ought to know, and much more. Here, then, are his appreciations of Poe, Milton, Tennyson, and Longfellow; paeans to his contemporaries Elizabeth Bishop, Mae Swenson, and John Ciardi; an introduction to the work of the neglected poet Witter Bynner; his comments on some of his own poems; and thoughts on the art of translation. Throughout all, Wilbur's voice resonates with clarity, reason, and authority. |
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Page 15
... Poe's tales , to the taking of his suggested meaning , though this is not true of them all . It seems to me that the choice of the name Prospero , in " The Masque of the Red Death , " is both brilliant and accessible ; Poe's Prospero ...
... Poe's tales , to the taking of his suggested meaning , though this is not true of them all . It seems to me that the choice of the name Prospero , in " The Masque of the Red Death , " is both brilliant and accessible ; Poe's Prospero ...
Page 114
... Poe's " style , " as if he had but one way of writing . The fact is that he chose numerous styles for his several modes and purposes , distinguishing be- tween the means appropriate to criticism , fiction , and verse , and attuning the ...
... Poe's " style , " as if he had but one way of writing . The fact is that he chose numerous styles for his several modes and purposes , distinguishing be- tween the means appropriate to criticism , fiction , and verse , and attuning the ...
Page 115
... Poe ) seeks to estrange us from the known and impel us toward the beyond . Another aspect of Poe's ara- besque style is his mingling of rhetorics : there is the plainness of " We will say , then , that I am mad ; " there is also such a ...
... Poe ) seeks to estrange us from the known and impel us toward the beyond . Another aspect of Poe's ara- besque style is his mingling of rhetorics : there is the plainness of " We will say , then , that I am mad ; " there is also such a ...
Contents
Poe and the Art of Suggestion | 7 |
Longfellow | 26 |
The Persistence of Riddles | 32 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
American answer appear asked beauty become begins bird Bynner called clear close continually course critic dark death described dream Earth effect Eleonora English enigma example experience expression fact feel figure final give given hand hear heart heaven human idea imaginative John kind knowledge language later leaves less letter light lines living look lyric matter mean memory mind nature never notes object once passion perhaps plays pleasure Poe's poem poet poet's poetic poetry possible present questions reader reason rhyme riddle seems seen sense Song sort soul sound speaks spirit story suggestion sure tells things thought translation trees turn Ulysses verse voice whole wish writing written wrote