A History of Civilization (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Albert Goldbarth
- First Published: 1981
- Type of Work: Lyric
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry
- Subjects: History, Immigration or emigration, Time, Animals, Grocery trade
The Poem
Reading “A History of Civilization” is somewhat like opening a box within a box within a box. The poem consists of four six-line stanzas organized so that each stanza focuses on a particular place and each place suggests a particular past. Each of the first three stanzas ends on the open phrase “In back,” thus sending the reader quickly into the next stanza. For all its brevity, “A History of Civilization” does not quite fit the definition of a lyric. The reader does not “overhear” a speaker, but is treated to a complex layering of scenes.
The...
[The entire page is 1503 words long]
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