From Library Journal
This fresh look at the thoughts of Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning poet Roethke was created from two previous volumes of the writer's prose notebooks: On the Poet and His Craft (1965) and Straw for the Fire: From the Notebooks of Theodore Roethke, 1943-62 (1972). The introduction by Carolyn Kizer, who studied with the distinguished poet-teacher at the University of Washington, sets the tone of the work, which shows Roethke's thought processes as he set words to paper to create his masterpieces. This volume focuses on Roethke as a demanding yet introspective teacher who struggled with his personal life and taught his students the value of verbs and cadence. In his notebooks, Roethke dissected his own pieces and the works of other writers he valued, such as W.B. Yeats, Stanley Kunitz, Dylan Thomas, and James Joyce. A perfect work for students and aspiring writers; recommended for literature and creative writing collections. Joyce Sparrow, Juvenile Welfare Board Lib., Pinellas Park, FL Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Theodore Roethke was one of the most famous and outpoken poets and poetry teachers this country has ever known. In this volume of selected prose, Roethke articulates his commitments to imaginative possibilities, offers tender advice to young writers, and zings darts at stuffed shirts, lightweights and fools. Culled from volumes long out of print, On Poetry and Craft will be prized in the classroom-and outrageous Roethke quotes will once again pepper our conversations.
About the Author
Theodore Roethke was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1908. As a child, he spent much time in the greenhouse owned by his father and uncle. His impressions of the natural world contained there would later profoundly influence the subjects and imagery of his verse. Roethke attended the University of Michigan and took a few classes at Harvard, but was unhappy in school. His first book, Open House (1941), took ten years to write and was critically acclaimed upon its publication. He went on to publish sparingly, but his reputation grew with each new collection, including The Waking, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1954. He taught at various colleges and universities, including Lafayette, Pennsylvania State, and Bennington, and worked last at the University of Washington, where he was mentor to a generation of poets that included David Wagoner, Carolyn Kizer, Tess Gallagher, and Richard Hugo. Roethke died in 1963.
Excerpted from On Poetry and Craft by Theodore Roethke, Carolyn Kizer. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
I am overwhelmed by the beautiful disorder of poetry, the eternal virginity of words. The poem, even a short time after being written, seems no miracle; unwritten, it seems something beyond the capacity of the gods. We can't escape what we are, and I'm afraid many of my notions about verse (I haven't too many) have been conditioned by the fact that for nearly 25 years I've been trying to teach the young something about the nature of verse by writing it--and that with very little formal knowledge of the subject or previous instruction. So it's going to be like Harpo Marx teaching the harp. Democracy: where the semi-literate make laws and the illiterate enforce them. Bring to poetry the passion that goes into politics or buying a piece of meat. In poetry, there are no casual readers.
On Poetry and Craft FROM THE PUBLISHER
"On Poetry & Craft reveals Theodore Roethke's legendary commitment to the arts of poetry and teaching. Drawing from hundreds of notebook entries, essays, essays, radio transcripts, critical articles and reviews, this volume of selected prose explores Roethke's critical imagination, offers advice to young writers, and provides insights into one of our greatest and most passionate poets."--BOOK JACKET.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
This fresh look at the thoughts of Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning poet Roethke was created from two previous volumes of the writer's prose notebooks: On the Poet and His Craft (1965) and Straw for the Fire: From the Notebooks of Theodore Roethke, 1943-62 (1972). The introduction by Carolyn Kizer, who studied with the distinguished poet-teacher at the University of Washington, sets the tone of the work, which shows Roethke's thought processes as he set words to paper to create his masterpieces. This volume focuses on Roethke as a demanding yet introspective teacher who struggled with his personal life and taught his students the value of verbs and cadence. In his notebooks, Roethke dissected his own pieces and the works of other writers he valued, such as W.B. Yeats, Stanley Kunitz, Dylan Thomas, and James Joyce. A perfect work for students and aspiring writers; recommended for literature and creative writing collections. Joyce Sparrow, Juvenile Welfare Board Lib., Pinellas Park, FL Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
ACCREDITATION
Theodore Roethke was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1908. As a child, he spent much time in the greenhouse owned by his father and uncle. His impressions of the natural world contained there would later profoundly influence the subjects and imagery of his verse. Roethke attended the University of Michigan and took a few classes at Harvard, but was unhappy in school. His first book, Open House (1941), took ten years to write and was critically acclaimed upon its publication. He went on to publish sparingly, but his reputation grew with each new collection, including The Waking, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1954. He taught at various colleges and universities, including Lafayette, Pennsylvania State, and Bennington, and worked last at the University of Washington, where he was mentor to a generation of poets that included David Wagoner, Carolyn Kizer, Tess Gallagher, and Richard Hugo. Roethke died in 1963.
Art & Photography
Book Info
