Milton by Firelight (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Gary Snyder
- First Published: 1958
- Type of Work: Lyric
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry
- Subjects: Nature, Poetry or poets, Native Americans or American Indians, Hell, Mines, miners, or mining, Mountain life, Edible plants, Fruit, Hunger
The Poem
“Milton by Firelight” is a short poem with four stanzas, which vary in length from seven to twelve lines. As its title suggests, the poem reviews the vision of John Milton from the perspective of one who is camping “by firelight.” Place and date of composition are provided by the author as “Piute Creek, August 1955.” High in the Sierra Nevada, Piute Creek defines an arid, mountainous terrain where during the summer of 1955 Gary Snyder was employed as a laborer. His work was to build “riprap,” which, according to his poem “Riprap,” is “a cobble of...
[The entire page is 1858 words long]
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