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 45
... seen , to have wild composite ideas , chimerical visions . In this case , one's very first impression is of an incredible mon- ster , a sort of super - sphinx . However , if the mind's eye is par- ticularly agile , it may soon commence ...
... seen , to have wild composite ideas , chimerical visions . In this case , one's very first impression is of an incredible mon- ster , a sort of super - sphinx . However , if the mind's eye is par- ticularly agile , it may soon commence ...
Page 138
... seen a squirrel in front of the Fogg Museum , if one had not seen a squirrel there ; one would thus harmlessly and disinter- estedly introduce into the minds of one's friends a squirrel which had never existed . Not long ago , I was ...
... seen a squirrel in front of the Fogg Museum , if one had not seen a squirrel there ; one would thus harmlessly and disinter- estedly introduce into the minds of one's friends a squirrel which had never existed . Not long ago , I was ...
Page 166
... seen in toto , from the front door clear to the shelved bottles in the back ; the tobacco workers showing the process of rolling the cheesecloth after the harvest ; the timber gang showing you how they work together . Workers , in these ...
... seen in toto , from the front door clear to the shelved bottles in the back ; the tobacco workers showing the process of rolling the cheesecloth after the harvest ; the timber gang showing you how they work together . Workers , in these ...
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