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 32
... appear I seem mysterious , But when I'm explained I am nothing serious . Some riddles , as you see , take themselves lightly . And I fear that many people nowadays , if they think of the riddle at all , consider it a sort of trick ...
... appear I seem mysterious , But when I'm explained I am nothing serious . Some riddles , as you see , take themselves lightly . And I fear that many people nowadays , if they think of the riddle at all , consider it a sort of trick ...
Page 47
... appear . " This relationship of myth and riddle reflects the need of any society to have , on the one hand , an orderly view of things and , on the other hand , to be capable of mental ad- justment and adaptive change . One value of ...
... appear . " This relationship of myth and riddle reflects the need of any society to have , on the one hand , an orderly view of things and , on the other hand , to be capable of mental ad- justment and adaptive change . One value of ...
Page 59
... appear , to things as they are , and then into the larger , wilder space of things as they are becoming . " That sentence contains the whole drama of May Swenson's poetry , the passion that underlies her playfulness . Though she knows ...
... appear , to things as they are , and then into the larger , wilder space of things as they are becoming . " That sentence contains the whole drama of May Swenson's poetry , the passion that underlies her playfulness . Though she knows ...
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