Criticism > Contemporary Literary Criticism > Senghor, Léopold Sédar - Robert W. July （review date 25 October 1964）

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Robert W. July （review date 25 October 1964）

SOURCE: “Rolling Rhythms,” in New York Times Book Review, October 25, 1964, p. 54.

[In the following review, July offers praise for Senghor's Selected Poems.]

Leopold Senghor, Africa's most celebrated exponent of negritude, has nowhere stated his philosophy more eloquently than in his hundred-odd poems published at intervals since 1945. Yet these major works of the philosopher-statesman of Senegal have been relatively unknown outside the French-speaking world for lack of adequate translation. It is a pleasure, therefore, to welcome this volume which presents approximately one third of the poet's output in versions which are always careful and frequently as rich in imagery. If not quite as musical, as the originals.

The African quality of Senghor's poetry is easy to trace the rolling rhythms, the vivid evocation of smell, taste, and sound, the romantic dreamy sensuousness, the...

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1. Introduction
2. Principal Works
3. Criticism
   1. Newsweek （review date 27 July 1964）
   2. Gwendolyn Brooks （review date 13 September 1964）
   3. Robert W. July （review date 25 October 1964）
   4. O. R. Dathorne （essay date 1974）
   5. Lilyan Kesteloot （essay date 1974）
   6. Frederick Ivor Case （essay date 1975）
   7. Janis L. Pallister （essay date April 1980）
   8. Dorothy S. Blair （essay date 1984）
   9. Janet G. Vaillant （essay date 1990）
   10. Roger Shattuck and Samba Ka （review date 20 December 1990）
   11. K. Anthony Appiah （review date 5 July 1992）
   12. Isaac I. Elimimian （essay date 1994）
   13. Koffi Anyinefa （essay date Summer 1996）
4. Further Reading
5. Copyright

1. African Literature