I, Mencius, Pupil of the Master . . . (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Charles Olson
- First Published: 1954
- Type of Work: Dramatic monologue
- Genres: Poetry, Dramatic monologue
- Subjects: Philosophy or philosophers, Poetry or poets, Asia or Asians, China or Chinese people
The Poem
“I, Mencius, Pupil of the Master . . .” is a long, open-form poem in three major sections containing twenty-five stanzas. The entire poem comprises eighty-four lines of various length. Understanding the title is crucial in detecting the voice, theme, and tone of this challenging poem. Assuming the persona of an earlier poet is a technique that Charles Olson, one of contemporary America’s first postmodernist poets, used throughout his controversial career. In this poem, he speaks through the persona of Mencius (372-289 b.c.e.), a devoted follower of the great...
[The entire page is 1580 words long]
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