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 183
... kind of affinity with him , or at least with the particular work I'm rendering , that I can use such words as readily come to me without imposing myself on the work . I can give an example of this . I can contrast myself with Ezra Pound ...
... kind of affinity with him , or at least with the particular work I'm rendering , that I can use such words as readily come to me without imposing myself on the work . I can give an example of this . I can contrast myself with Ezra Pound ...
Page 184
... kind of abhorrence for the word exer- cise , even though in teaching poetry I ask my students , if they feel like it , to do this or that kind of exercise which I propose . No , I have a feeling that though I am not writing a poem of my ...
... kind of abhorrence for the word exer- cise , even though in teaching poetry I ask my students , if they feel like it , to do this or that kind of exercise which I propose . No , I have a feeling that though I am not writing a poem of my ...
Page 188
... kind of emotion or the kind of situation , usually quite stock , that is being prepared . RW So there would be a rough analogy to grand opera . EH Yes . But of course it's impossible to reproduce in trans- lation , though it's been ...
... kind of emotion or the kind of situation , usually quite stock , that is being prepared . RW So there would be a rough analogy to grand opera . EH Yes . But of course it's impossible to reproduce in trans- lation , though it's been ...
Contents
Poe and the Art of Suggestion | 7 |
Longfellow | 26 |
The Persistence of Riddles | 32 |
Copyright | |
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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