The Oxford Book of American PoetryDavid Lehman, John Brehm Here is the eagerly awaited new edition of The Oxford Book of American Poetry brought completely up to date and dramatically expanded by poet David Lehman. It is a rich, capacious volume, featuring the work of more than 200 poets-almost three times as many as the 1976 edition. With a succinct and often witty head note introducing each author, it is certain to become the definitive anthology of American poetry for our time. Lehman has gathered together all the works one would expect to find in a landmark collection of American poetry, from Whitman's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry to Stevens's The Idea of Order at Key West, and from Eliot's The Waste Land to Ashbery's Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror. But equally important, the editor has significantly expanded the range of the anthology. The book includes not only writers born since the previous edition, but also many fine poets overlooked in earlier editions or little known in the past but highly deserving of attention. The anthology confers legitimacy on the Objectivist poets; the so-called Proletariat poets of the 1930s; famous poets who fell into neglect or were the victims of critical backlash (Edna St. Vincent Millay); poets whose true worth has only become clear with the passing of time (Weldon Kees). Among poets missing from Richard Ellmann's 1976 volume but published here are W. H. Auden, Charles Bukowski, Donald Justice, Carolyn Kizer, Kenneth Koch, Stanley Kunitz, Emma Lazarus, Mina Loy, Howard Moss, Lorine Niedecker, George Oppen, James Schuyler, Elinor Wylie, and Louis Zukosky. Many more women are represented: outstanding poets such as Josephine Jacobsen, Josephine Miles, May Swenson. Numerous African-American poets receive their due, and unexpected figures such as the musicians Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and Robert Johnson have a place in this important work. This stunning collection redefines the great canon of American poetry from its origins in the 17th century right up to the present. It is a must-have anthology for anyone interested in American literature and a book that is sure to be consulted, debated, and treasured for years to come. |
From inside the book
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Page xii
... James Merrill. In Matthiessen the youngest poet was born in 1917; in Ellmann, 1934. Needing to advance the cutoff date, I settled on 1950, which virtually replicates the previous interval and has the additional advantage of being both ...
... James Merrill. In Matthiessen the youngest poet was born in 1917; in Ellmann, 1934. Needing to advance the cutoff date, I settled on 1950, which virtually replicates the previous interval and has the additional advantage of being both ...
Page xx
... James Merrill (“Self-Portrait in TyvekTM Windbreaker”). Paintings by Brueghel are treated in poems by Auden and William Carlos Williams (“Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”) and by John Berryman and Williams (“The Hunters in the Snow ...
... James Merrill (“Self-Portrait in TyvekTM Windbreaker”). Paintings by Brueghel are treated in poems by Auden and William Carlos Williams (“Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”) and by John Berryman and Williams (“The Hunters in the Snow ...
Page xlvii
... JAMES MERRILL (1926–1995) A Dedication 763 Charles on Fire 763 Days of 1964 764 Days of 1935 766 Syrinx 773 Lost in Translation 774 Grass 779 Graffito 780 Self-Portrait in TyvekTM Windbreaker 780 b od y 784 Days of 1994 784 FRANK O'HARA ...
... JAMES MERRILL (1926–1995) A Dedication 763 Charles on Fire 763 Days of 1964 764 Days of 1935 766 Syrinx 773 Lost in Translation 774 Grass 779 Graffito 780 Self-Portrait in TyvekTM Windbreaker 780 b od y 784 Days of 1994 784 FRANK O'HARA ...
Page 41
... James Merrill, who began his epic vision of the afterlife with a volume entitled Divine Comedies, regarded Longfellow's translation of Dante's Divine Comedy as the best in English. Robert Frost took the title of his first book of poems ...
... James Merrill, who began his epic vision of the afterlife with a volume entitled Divine Comedies, regarded Longfellow's translation of Dante's Divine Comedy as the best in English. Robert Frost took the title of his first book of poems ...
Page 310
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Contents
GWENDOLYN BROOKS 19172000 | 623 |
RUTH HERSCHBERGER b 1917 | 627 |
ROBERT LOWELL 19171977 | 630 |
JOAN MURRAY 19171942 | 640 |
WILLIAM BRONK 19181999 | 643 |
ROBERT DUNCAN 19191988 | 644 |
CHARLES BUKOWSKI 19201994 | 651 |
AMY CLAMPITT 19201994 | 658 |
23 | |
27 | |
41 | |
51 | |
57 | |
61 | |
JONES VERY 18131880 | 73 |
HENRY DAVID THOREAU 18171862 | 76 |
JULIA WARD HOWE 18191910 | 79 |
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL 18191891 | 80 |
WALT WHITMAN 18191892 | 84 |
HERMAN MELVILLE 18191891 | 152 |
FREDERICK GODDARD TUCKERMAN 18211873 | 159 |
HENRY TIMROD 18281867 | 161 |
EMILY DICKINSON 18301886 | 163 |
EMMA LAZARUS 18491887 | 184 |
EDWIN MARKHAM 18521940 | 186 |
KATHARINE LEE BATES 18591929 | 187 |
ERNEST LAWRENCE THAYER 18631940 | 188 |
EDGAR LEE MASTERS 18681950 | 191 |
EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON 18691935 | 194 |
STEPHEN CRANE 18711900 | 203 |
JAMES WELDON JOHNSON 18711938 | 206 |
PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR 18721906 | 210 |
ROBERT FROST 18741963 | 212 |
AMY LOWELL 18741925 | 238 |
GERTRUDE STEIN 18741946 | 239 |
TRUMBULL STICKNEY 18741904 | 244 |
ADELAIDE CRAPSEY 18781914 | 246 |
CARL SANDBURG 18781967 | 247 |
WALLACE STEVENS 18791955 | 249 |
ANGELINA WELD GRIMKÉ 18801958 | 272 |
MINA LOY 18821966 | 273 |
WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS 18831963 | 276 |
EZRA POUND 18851972 | 295 |
ELINOR WYLIE 18851928 | 310 |
H D HILDA DOOLITTLE 18861961 | 314 |
ROBINSON JEFFERS 18871962 | 318 |
MARIANNE MOORE 18871972 | 322 |
T S ELIOT 18881965 | 342 |
JOHN CROWE RANSOM 18881974 | 374 |
CONRAD AIKEN 18891973 | 378 |
CLAUDE MCKAY 18891948 | 382 |
ARCHIBALD MACLEISH 18921982 | 384 |
EDNA ST VINCENT MILLAY 18921950 | 388 |
SAMUEL GREENBERG 18931917 | 390 |
DOROTHY PARKER 18931967 | 392 |
E E CUMMINGS 18941962 | 393 |
CHARLES REZNIKOFF 18941976 | 401 |
H PHELPS PUTNAM 18941948 | 404 |
BESSIE SMITH 18941937 | 407 |
JEAN TOOMER 18941967 | 408 |
MARK VAN DOREN 18941972 | 411 |
LOUISE BOGAN 18971970 | 412 |
JOHN WHEELWRIGHT 18971940 | 415 |
STEPHEN VINCENT BENET 18981943 | 419 |
MELVIN B TOLSON 18981966 | 420 |
LEONIE ADAMS 18991988 | 425 |
HART CRANE 18991932 | 427 |
ALLEN TATE 18991979 | 448 |
YVOR WINTERS 19001968 | 453 |
STERLING A BROWN 19011989 | 456 |
LAURA RIDING 19011991 | 461 |
KENNETH FEARING 19021961 | 465 |
LANGSTON HUGHES 19021967 | 468 |
OGDEN NASH 19021971 | 475 |
COUNTEE CULLEN 19031946 | 477 |
EDWIN DENBY 19031983 | 479 |
LORINE NIEDECKER 19031970 | 481 |
LOUIS ZUKOFSKY 19041978 | 487 |
STANLEY KUNITZ b 1905 | 491 |
KENNETH REXROTH 19051982 | 492 |
ROBERT PENN WARREN 19051989 | 496 |
W H AUDEN 19071973 | 498 |
LINCOLN KIRSTEIN 19071996 | 521 |
JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN 19082003 | 524 |
GEORGE OPPEN 19081984 | 526 |
THEODORE ROETHKE 19081963 | 529 |
CHARLES OLSON 19101970 | 539 |
WINFIELD TOWNLEY SCOTT 19101968 | 544 |
ELIZABETH BISHOP 19111979 | 545 |
J V CUNNINGHAM 19111985 | 566 |
PAUL GOODMAN 19111972 | 569 |
JOSEPHINE MILES 19111985 | 571 |
ANNE PORTER b 1911 | 574 |
ROBERT JOHNSON 19111938 | 577 |
JEAN GARRIGUE 19121972 | 578 |
ROBERT HAYDEN 19131980 | 581 |
MURIEL RUKEYSER 19131980 | 587 |
DAVID SCHUBERT 19131946 | 588 |
DELMORE SCHWARTZ 19131966 | 592 |
KARL SHAPIRO 19132000 | 596 |
MAY SWENSON 19131989 | 599 |
JOHN BERRYMAN 19141972 | 603 |
RANDALL JARRELL 19141965 | 609 |
WELDON KEES 19141955 | 613 |
WILLIAM STAFFORD 19141993 | 618 |
RUTH STONE b 1915 | 620 |
BARBARA GUEST b 1920 | 661 |
HOWARD NEMEROV 19201991 | 663 |
MONA VAN DUYN 19212004 | 665 |
RICHARD WILBUR b 1921 | 667 |
HOWARD MOSS 19221987 | 677 |
ANTHONY HECHT 19232004 | 679 |
RICHARD HUGO 19231982 | 684 |
DENISE LEVERTOV 19231997 | 686 |
JAMES SCHUYLER 19231991 | 689 |
LOUIS SIMPSON b 1923 | 699 |
DONALD JUSTICE 19252004 | 701 |
CAROLYN KIZER b 1925 | 706 |
KENNETH KOCH 19252002 | 711 |
JACK SPICER 19251965 | 725 |
A R AMMONS 19262001 | 727 |
ROBERT BLY b 1926 | 741 |
ROBERT CREELEY 19262005 | 745 |
ALLEN GINSBERG 19261997 | 750 |
JAMES MERRILL 19261995 | 762 |
FRANK OHARA 19261966 | 785 |
W D SNODGRASS b 1926 | 798 |
DAVID WAGONER b 1926 | 800 |
LEW WELCH 19261971 | 803 |
GALWAY KINNELL b 1927 | 830 |
W S MERWIN b 1927 | 833 |
JAMES WRIGHT 19271980 | 840 |
DONALD HALL b 1928 | 844 |
PHILIP LEVINE b 1928 | 849 |
ANNE SEXTON 19281974 | 853 |
JOHN HOLLANDER b 1929 | 856 |
RICHARD HOWARD b 1929 | 862 |
ADRIENNE RICH b 1929 | 867 |
HARRY MATHEWS b 1930 | 879 |
GARY SNYDER b 1930 | 881 |
SYLVIA PLATH 19321963 | 886 |
TED BERRIGAN 19341983 | 898 |
JOSEPH CERAVOLO 19341988 | 901 |
MARK STRAND b 1934 | 904 |
JAY WRIGHT b 1935 | 909 |
RUSSELL EDSON b 1935 | 912 |
MARY OLIVER b 1935 | 915 |
CHARLES WRIGHT b 1935 | 919 |
FREDERICK SEIDEL b 1936 | 923 |
C K WILLIAMS b 1936 | 926 |
CHARLES SIMIC b 1938 | 928 |
FRANK BIDART b 1939 | 934 |
CARL DENNIS b 1939 | 939 |
TOM DISCH b 1940 | 941 |
FANNY HOWE b 1940 | 943 |
ROBERT PINSKY b 1940 | 945 |
TOM CLARK b 1941 | 952 |
BILLY COLLINS b 1941 | 953 |
BOB DYLAN b 1941 | 962 |
ROBERT HASS b 1941 | 966 |
LYN HEJINIAN b 1941 | 971 |
MARILYN HACKER b 1942 | 973 |
LINDA GREGG b 1942 | 975 |
ANN LAUTERBACH b 1942 | 977 |
WILLIAM MATTHEWS 19421997 | 980 |
SHARON OLDS b 1942 | 982 |
RON PADGETT b 1942 | 987 |
LOUISE GLÜCK b 1943 | 988 |
MICHAEL PALMER b 1943 | 995 |
JAMES TATE b 1943 | 999 |
DOUGLAS CRASE b 1944 | 1009 |
PAUL VIOLI b 1944 | 1012 |
JOHN KOETHE b 1945 | 1014 |
BERNADETTE MAYER b 1945 | 1017 |
J D MCCLATCHY b 1945 | 1019 |
ALICE NOTLEY b 1945 | 1020 |
KAY RYAN b 1945 | 1022 |
TERENCE WINCH b 1945 | 1025 |
PATTI SMITH b 1946 | 1026 |
RAE ARMANTROUT b 1947 | 1027 |
AARON FOGEL b 1947 | 1029 |
JANE KENYON 19471995 | 1031 |
YUSEF KOMUNYAKAA b 1947 | 1033 |
SUSAN MITCHELL b 1947 | 1040 |
MOLLY PEACOCK b 1947 | 1042 |
BOB PERELMAN b 1947 | 1044 |
DAVID SHAPIRO b 1947 | 1047 |
JAMES CUMMINS b 1948 | 1051 |
RACHEL HADAS b 1948 | 1052 |
LAWRENCE JOSEPH b 1948 | 1053 |
HEATHER MCHUGH b 1948 | 1056 |
LYNN EMANUEL b 1949 | 1060 |
KATHA POLLITT b 1949 | 1063 |
CHARLES BERNSTEIN b 1950 | 1064 |
ANNE CARSON b 1950 | 1066 |
CAROLYN FORCHÉ b 1950 | 1071 |
DANA GIOIA b 1950 | 1072 |
JORIE GRAHAM b 1950 | 1074 |
EDWARD HIRSCH b 1950 | 1080 |
RODNEY JONES b 1950 | 1082 |
JOHN YAU b 1950 | 1084 |
COPYRIGHTS | 1087 |
INDEX | 1107 |
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Common terms and phrases
American American Poetry beauty bird blood blue born breath Charles Simic cold dark dead death Desolation Row door dream earth Elizabeth Bishop eyes Ezra Pound face fall father feel feet flowers girl gone grass green hair hand head hear heard heart heaven James Merrill James Schuyler John Ashbery knew laugh leaves light live look Louise Glück mind moon morning mother never night o’er once poem poet poetry rain Randall Jarrell river Robert Creeley Robert Lowell rock rose shadow shore silence sing sleep smile snow song soul sound stand stars stone street summer sweet T. S. Eliot talk tell thee there’s things thou thought trees turn voice W. H. Auden waiting walk watch waves wind window woman words wrote young