Dannie Abse Criticism
- Principal Works
-
Abse, Dannie (Vol. 29)
-
Introduction
(summary)
Dannie Abse (1923– ) is a multifaceted Welsh literary figure, celebrated for his work as a poet, novelist, dramatist, essayist, short story writer, and editor. His poetry is particularly renowned for its honest reflection of everyday life, informed by his Jewish heritage, Roman Catholic education, and medical career. Abse's poetic voice is distinctive, often conveying a balance between affirmation and despair within the metropolitan setting of London, where he resides. His work reflects middle-class existence with a thoughtful and probing spirit visible across his novels, plays, and essays.
Over his career, Abse's poetic style evolved from public, socially-themed poetry, influenced by Dylan Thomas, towards more personal expressions. His early collections like After Every Green Thing (1949) were romantic and symbolic, while later works such as Walking Under Water (1952) demonstrated a mastery over form and personal depth. Collections like Tenants of the House (1957) and Poems, Golders Green (1962) marked a shift to personal themes with a conversational style. Notably, Howard Sergeant emphasizes that Abse's poetry grew in depth and insight once he embraced both his poetic and medical vocations.
In prose, Abse first gained attention with his autobiographical novel Ash on a Young Man's Sleeve (1954), though critics like James D. Finn have critiqued its plot cohesion. His subsequent novels Some Corner of an English Field (1957) and O. Jones, O. Jones (1970) explore themes of social conscience, while his essay collection A Strong Dose of Myself (1983) reveals his socio-psychological insights, as noted by Grevel Lindop. Throughout his career, Abse’s works consistently blend his medical insight with literary craft, contributing to the richness of modern poetry and prose.
-
Welsh Boyhood
(summary)
In the following essay, James D. Finn critiques Ash on a Young Man's Sleeve by Dannie Abse, arguing that the novel lacks a cohesive plot and memorable incidents, with an identity confusion in its narration and an inconsistent writing style that only occasionally reaches its potential.
-
Some Corner of an English Field
(summary)
In the following essay, Isabel Quigly critiques Dannie Abse's Some Corner of an English Field for its lack of compelling action, yet praises its exploration of the theme of the outsider and highlights Abse's distinctive observational skill and spiritual integrity in elevating the novel's otherwise limited material.
-
Some Corner of an English Field
(summary)
The critic contends that although Dannie Abse's "Some Corner of an English Field" suffers from vagueness and an unfinished quality, the work nonetheless reveals Abse's talent through his nuanced character understanding and vivid descriptive language.
-
Kinds of Poetry
(summary)
In the following essay, Edwin Muir argues that Dannie Abse's poetry in Tenants of the House exhibits a distinctive individuality that transcends literary schools, combining skillful technique with a unique personal voice, particularly evident in his use of allegory in religious poems.
-
Seven Modern Poets, Beauty, Wisdom, Grace—and a Dash of Bitters: 'Tenants of the House'
(summary)
In the following essay, Gene Baro examines Dannie Abse's poetry collection "Tenants of the House," highlighting Abse's strength in personal expression while noting that his metaphysical and social poetry can be less effective due to influences and abstraction.
-
The Poetry of Dannie Abse: The Head Stuffed with Feathers and The Poetry of Dannie Abse: 'The One Voice That Is Mine'
(summary)
In the following essay, Roland Mathias evaluates Dannie Abse's poetic evolution, highlighting his transition from a public and declamatory style with Jewish and socialist influences to a more structured formalism in his later works, while critiquing certain aspects of his thematic and symbolic development.
-
Pre-Beat
(summary)
In the following essay, Alan Brownjohn critiques Dannie Abse's poetry collection A Small Desperation for its gentle and approachable romanticism, suggesting that while some poems are effective in their questioning elements, others are overly mild, achieving greater success in lighter pieces.
-
Special Pleading
(summary)
The critic explores Dannie Abse's poetic evolution from his early influences by Yeats and Dylan Thomas to developing a distinct voice characterized by wit and integrity, with urban landscapes and moral introspection in works like Poems, Golders Green and A Small Desperation.
-
Pythagoras
(summary)
In the following essay, Lambert praises Dannie Abse's play Pythagoras for its witty satire and humanizing portrayal of characters in a mental institution, while questioning the effectiveness of its ambiguous conclusion.
-
Poetry of the Whole Man
(summary)
In the following essay, Howard Sergeant explores Dannie Abse's poetic evolution, arguing that Abse's integration of his medical profession into his work has enriched his poetry with greater scope, depth, and psychological insight, thereby enhancing his exploration of themes such as personal identity and societal pressures.
-
Dannie Abse Revisited
(summary)
In the following essay, John Tripp argues that Dannie Abse's poetry is marked by its accessibility, humor, and profound sense of unease, blending personal and universal themes with a mastery that evokes T. S. Eliot's influence while exploring contemporary realism and existential despair, thus positioning Abse as a significant modern poet.
-
Digging for Rainbows
(summary)
In the following essay, John Mole critiques Dannie Abse's Collected Poems, contending that while Abse's poetry is marked by honesty and a wide range of experiences, it often struggles with over-constructed irony and explicitness, which can detract from the intended personal and emotional depth.
-
Expressing the Difference
(summary)
In the following essay, William H. Pritchard critiques Dannie Abse's "Collected Poems 1948–1976," acknowledging Abse's decency and competence as a poet while suggesting that his work may lack the provocative edge of contemporaries like Amis or Larkin, and calling for more exploration of his medical experiences in his poetry.
-
The Bedside Profession
(summary)
In the following essay, Douglas Dunn critiques Dannie Abse's poetry, highlighting the conflict between his dual roles as doctor and poet, and argues that while Abse's work is marked by humane compassion and distinct identity, it lacks the striking individuality and ambition expected from such a unique background.
-
Michael J. Collins
(summary)
In the following essay, Michael J. Collins explores how Dannie Abse's Way Out in the Centre reflects his diverse experiences and heritage, highlighting themes of dissociation and the irrational in seemingly ordered life through private and moving poems that delve into love, loss, and the dark undercurrents of reality.
-
The Diagnostician Diagnosed
(summary)
In the following essay, Grevel Lindop critiques Dannie Abse's collected works in "A Strong Dose of Myself" as a mosaic of essays with recurring themes such as medical practice and poetic exploration, noting the strengths in Abse's medical narratives but observing limitations in his literary analysis and poetic insights.
-
The Plays of Dannie Abse: Responsibilities
(summary)
In the following essay, John Cassidy explores the themes of moral responsibility and the tension between rationality and magic in Dannie Abse's plays, emphasizing Abse's distinctive dramatic style and his ability to intertwine poetic language with theatrical elements to challenge audiences' perceptions of reality.
-
Before the Last Flowers and Flies Descend
(summary)
In the following essay, Theodore Weiss argues that Dannie Abse's poetry stands out from his contemporaries by maintaining a connection to the richness of language and imagination, offering a sense of the copiousness of the world and serving as a guiding torch amid the darkness of modern civilization.
-
Introduction
(summary)
- Abse, Dannie (Vol. 7)
-
Abse, Dannie
-
Introduction
(summary)
Dannie Abse, a prominent figure in contemporary British poetry, is known for his distinct voice that merges his Jewish-Welsh heritage with his dual career as a physician and writer. His work is characterized by a balance of candidness and compassion, exploring themes from everyday life to the profound challenges of human existence. Born in Cardiff in 1923, Abse's literary journey began with influences from political writings and social issues, as noted in an interview with Mark Boada.
Abse's poetry evolved from a symbolic style present in his early works, such as After Every Green Thing (1949), to a more personal and conversational tone in later collections like Tenants of the House and Poems, Golders Green, as examined by Roland Mathias. His collections often reflect his medical experiences, a theme that matured in A Small Desperation (1968) and Funland (1973). The latter is celebrated for its surreal and comic quality, with praise from The Times Literary Supplement, and is considered a masterpiece by Gigliol Sacerdoti Mariani.
Abse's later works, such as One-Legged on Ice, continue to blend personal narratives with broader humanistic concerns, striking a balance between intellect and emotion, as noted in the Choice review. His poetry, often infused with humor and irony, is described as having a unique duality, combining the poetic with the scientific, as observed by Nicholas Wroe and further explored in Joseph Cohen's essay.
Critics admire Abse's work for its depth and his ability to maintain a personal touch while tackling universal themes. His style, evolving from romantic symbolism to a more introspective lyricism, has secured his place as a significant voice in poetry, with Funland and Other Poems regarded as among his finest achievements, as highlighted by John Mole and Vernon Scannell.
-
The Poetry of Dannie Abse: II
(summary)
In the following essay, Mathias examines the poems in Tenants of the House and Poems, Golders Green.
-
Recent Developments in British Poetry
(summary)
In the following excerpted review, Mott discusses the chilling imagery that appears in Abse's Collected Poems.
-
Nut Cases
(summary)
In the following review, Funland and Other Poems is praised for its uniquely surrealist and comic quality.
-
An Interview with Dannie Abse at Princeton University
(summary)
In the following interview, Abse and Boada explore the influence of Abse's Jewish-Welsh background on his dual career in medicine and literature, revealing how these experiences have shaped his poetic themes, the integration of his medical knowledge into his poetry, and his reflections on his literary identity and stylistic evolution.
-
Digging for Rainbows
(summary)
In the following review, Mole describes Abse's poetry as humorous, compassionate, and ironic.
-
Introduction to The Poetry of Dannie Abse
(summary)
In the following essay, Cohen explores the dualities that make up Abse's poetry.
-
From Funland to Funland! An Ellipse
(summary)
In the following essay, Mariani discusses the body of Abse's work, praising “Funland” as the masterpiece.
-
A Vision of the Street
(summary)
In the following essay, Scannell assesses Abse's contribution to poetry.
-
One-Legged on Ice
(summary)
In the following review, the critic praises the poems in One-Legged on Ice for their balance and duality. The title of the Welsh poet Dannie Abse's collection is a line borrowed from one of the poems, and it connotes a precariousness and an uncertainty of balance. Technically, these pieces are usually far too well crafted to seem precarious, although Abse's work often takes risks with content and emotion. Occasionally, however, a reader may wish for even more emotion and less intellect, although candid and powerful pieces such as the love poems and the poems about his son satisfy quite admirably one's need for depth and resonance. This collection, offering a careful balance between craft and feeling, between wit and intensity (particularly in the poems written out of Abse's experiences as a medical doctor) should be in any collection seeking to give broad representation to contemporary poetry worldwide.
-
A Nostalgia for Belief
(summary)
In the following review, O'Neill comments on the mysterious quality of Ask the Bloody Horse, highlighting both the charm and limitations of the poems, which display an obsessive interest in the mysterious and a nostalgia for belief.
-
White Coat, Purple Coat: Collected Poems 1948-1988
(summary)
In the following review, Stuttaford offers a positive assessment of White Coat, Purple Coat: Collected Poems 1948-1988. This comprehensive volume of British poet Abse's work serves as both an introduction to and an enduring touch-stone of his lyrical voice. A doctor and a poet, Abse brings to his writing a level of humanism often missing from contemporary verse; as he himself puts it, “Humankind / cannot bear very much unreality.” Even so, what “reality” his poems reflect often borders on the unbearable: in “In the theatre” a man undergoing a brain probe cries out, “‘You sod, / leave my soul alone, leave my soul alone.’” A recurrent theme is the conflict between science and spirituality, as suggested by an image of a white coat “always stained with blood” and a purple coat, marked by “the rose.” In a long poem, “Funland,” Abse deals in depth with the difficulties of believing in both, and, in his closing poem, describes himself as an amalgam of the two: “And phantom rose and blood most real / compose a hybrid style; / white coat and purple coat / few men can reconcile.” It is the very effort to reconcile that gives his work its memorable strength.
-
Remembrance of Crimes Past
(summary)
In the following review, the critic offers a generally positive assessment of Remembrance of Crimes Past. Abse, a British physician, writes thoughtfully about medicine, ethics and the art of poetry. Much of the work is inspired by themes from his Jewish heritage that are generally handled with irony and dark playfulness. The book's title is a reference to a longish poem about the speaker's childhood, describing how he escaped his piano lesson to join other boys in the park and the teacher was then 'dismissed.' This small crime stands out against the background of Hitler's Europe. The stately tone, the clipped voice, the penchant for pun and paradox are typical of Abse's poetic style. This is not ground-breaking technique but it is articulate and carefully shaped. For the most part, the poet avoids sentimentality through a kind of professorial humor. Occasionally the poet's persona seems contrived.
-
Review of Welsh Retrospective
(summary)
In the following review, Gyorgyey offers brief criticism of Abse's Welsh Retrospective, a slim volume of forty poems that reviews his poetic career and explores his Welsh identity, which has been a central theme throughout his poetry.
-
Be Seated, Thou: Poems, 1989-1998
(summary)
In the following review, Olson offers high praise of Be Seated, Thou: Poems, 1989-1998, highlighting Abse's cultural background and the warmth, humor, and depth of his poetry.
-
Is There a Poet in the House?
(summary)
In the following essay, Wroe discusses Abse's combination of medicine and literature.
-
Introduction
(summary)
- Further Reading