In The Heart’s Last Kingdom - Robert Penn Warren’s Major Poetry

Bedient Captures The Forces That Energize Warren's Major Poetry: His Craving For Experience, Action, Beauty, Magnificence, His Love Of The Natural World, His Quest For Self-knowledge, His Hunger For Truth And Glory. Singling Out The Poems That Rank As Masterpieces, He Explores Their Psychological And Metaphysical Nuances And Probes The Sources Of Their Power. His Grand Last Phase -- His Mature Manner -- Sunny Particulars -- His Varying Stance. Calvin Bedient. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In the long poem Audubon Robert Penn Warren-named America's first PoetLaureate-found his authentic poetic voice and persona. In the Hearts Last Kingdom Calvin Bedient argues that from this point on he was seen in his best work as a great poet.

Reviews: "A beautifully sustained study in which the author investigates Warren's poetry since 1969 and reveals its characteristic voices, themes, measures, and metaphors. Bedient is at once a master of Warren's poetry and a master of criticism, and he writes as well as any contemporary critic."

Sewanee Review



"[Bedient's] contribution to an appreciation of the power of Warren's latest poetry . . . it is breathtaking."

Western Humanities Review

Contents ONE His Grand Last Phase TWO His Mature Manner THREE Sunny Particulars FOUR His Varying Stance Notes Acknowledgments Index