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
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Page 32
... Riddles LET ME BEGIN with a riddle : When one doesn't know what it is , then it is something ; but when one knows what it is , then it is nothing . That is an old Swedish riddle the answer to which is " riddle . " And here is another old ...
... Riddles LET ME BEGIN with a riddle : When one doesn't know what it is , then it is something ; but when one knows what it is , then it is nothing . That is an old Swedish riddle the answer to which is " riddle . " And here is another old ...
Page 45
... riddle ini- tially consists of violently divergent images . I can tell you , as the owner of a greyhound , that the similes of this riddle are very accurate . The riddle does what almost all good riddles do - it results in a fresh and ...
... riddle ini- tially consists of violently divergent images . I can tell you , as the owner of a greyhound , that the similes of this riddle are very accurate . The riddle does what almost all good riddles do - it results in a fresh and ...
Page 55
... riddle form and treated all prim- itive societies as essentially one . 1. That the primitive riddle was more religious than magical may be seen if we compare the riddle with that other early and universal form of poetry , the charm ...
... riddle form and treated all prim- itive societies as essentially one . 1. That the primitive riddle was more religious than magical may be seen if we compare the riddle with that other early and universal form of poetry , the charm ...
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