American Poetry After Modernism : The Power of the Word

Albert Gelpi's American Poetry after Modernism is a study of sixteen major American poets of the postwar period, from Robert Lowell to Adrienne Rich. Gelpi argues that a distinctly American poetic tradition was solidified in the later half of the twentieth century, thus severing it from British conventions. In Gelpi's view, what distinguishes the American poetic tradition from the British is that at the heart of the American endeavor is a primary questioning of function and medium. The chief paradox in American poetry is the lack of a tradition that requires answering and redefining - redefining what it means to be a poet and, likewise, how the words of a poem create meaning, offer insight into reality, and answer the ultimate questions of living. Through chapters devoted to specific poets, Gelpi explores this paradox by providing an original and insightful reading of late-twentieth-century American poetry. Albert Gelpi's American Poetry After Modernism Is A Study Of Major Poets Of The Postwar Period From Robert Lowell And Adrienne Rich Through The Language Poets. He Argues That What Distinguishes American Poetry From The British Tradition Is, Paradoxically, The Lack Of A Tradition; As A Result, Each Poet Has To Ask Fundamental Questions About The Role Of The Poet And The Nature Of The Medium, Has To Invent A Language And Form For His Or Her Purposes. Exploring This Paradox Through Detailed Critical Readings Of The Work Of Sixteen Poets, Gelpi Presents An Original And Insightful Argument About Late Twentieth Century American Poetry And About The Historical Development Of A Distinctively American Poetry. -- Publisher's Description. Twentieth-century American Poetics: An Overview -- The Language Of Crisis: Robert Lowell, John Berryman -- The Language Of Flux: Elizabeth Bishop, John Ashbery -- The Language Of Incarnation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, William Everson -- The Language Of Witness: Adrienne Rich -- The Language Of Vision: Denise Levertov, Robert Duncan -- The Language Of L=a=n=g=u=a=g=e: Robert Creely, Lyn Hejinian, Susan Howe, Michael Palmer, Robert Grenier, Fanny Howe. Albert Gelpi. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Albert Gelpi's American Poetry after Modernism is a study of sixteen major American poets of the postwar period, from Robert Lowell to Adrienne Rich. Gelpi argues that a distinctly American poetic tradition was solidified in the later half of the twentieth century, thus severing it from British conventions. In Gelpi's view, what distinguishes the American poetic tradition from the British is that at the heart of the American endeavor is a primary questioning of function and medium. The chief paradox in American poetry is the lack of a tradition that requires answering and redefining - redefining what it means to be a poet and, likewise, how the words of a poem create meaning, offer insight into reality, and answer the ultimate questions of living. Through chapters devoted to specific poets, Gelpi explores this paradox by providing an original and insightful reading of late twentieth-century American poetry Albert Gelpi's book is a study of fourteen major American poets of the postwar period, from Robert Lowell to Adrienne Rich. Gelpi argues that a distinctly American poetic tradition was solidified in the later half of the twentieth century, thus severing it from British conventions. In Gelpi's view, what distinguishes the American poetic tradition from the British is that at the heart of the American endeavor is a primary questioning of function and medium. The chief paradox in American poetry is the lack of a tradition that requires answering and redefining - redefining what it means to be a poet and, likewise, how the words of a poem create meaning, offer insight into reality, and answer the ultimate questions of living. Through chapters devoted to specific poets, Gelpi explores this paradox by providing an original and insightful reading of late twentieth-century American poetry Albert Gelpi's American Poetry after Modernism is a study of major poets of the postwar period from Robert Lowell and Adrienne Rich through the Language poets. He argues that what distinguishes American poetry from the British tradition is, paradoxically, the lack of a tradition; as a result, each poet has to ask fundamental questions about the role of the poet and the nature of the medium, has to invent a language and form for his or her purposes. Exploring this paradox through detailed critical readings of the work of fourteen poets, Gelpi presents an original and insightful argument about late twentieth century American poetry and about the historical development of a distinctively American poetry. 1. Twentieth-century poetics: an overview 2. The language of crisis: Robert Lowell and John Berryman 3. The language of flux: Elizabeth Bishop and John Ashbery 4. The language of incarnation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William Everson 5. The language of witness: Adrienne Rich 6. The language of vision: Denise Levertov and Robert Duncan 7. The language of L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E: Robert Creeley, Michael Palmer, Lyn Hejinian, Robert Grenier, Susan Howe, and Fanny Howe.