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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 22
Page 77
... matter ! " Subject matter , I suppose , as opposed to poetic form . It amused me that , since Bill and I were classified in the sixties as traditional formalists , Charlie should reproach us for discussing words and themes rather than ...
... matter ! " Subject matter , I suppose , as opposed to poetic form . It amused me that , since Bill and I were classified in the sixties as traditional formalists , Charlie should reproach us for discussing words and themes rather than ...
Page 161
... matters of artis- tic form has to do with politics ; and there have , in fact , been moments of history in which an ... matter of individual response . Forms , in other words , survive their moments of social or other bearing and become ...
... matters of artis- tic form has to do with politics ; and there have , in fact , been moments of history in which an ... matter of individual response . Forms , in other words , survive their moments of social or other bearing and become ...
Page 166
... matter . Surely , to face a camera , es- pecially a professional one , was not an everyday thing for some of these folk . I suspect that their seriousness of mien has often to do with a sense that their lives for once are going on ...
... matter . Surely , to face a camera , es- pecially a professional one , was not an everyday thing for some of these folk . I suspect that their seriousness of mien has often to do with a sense that their lives for once are going on ...
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