Gregory Corso Criticism
The critical scholarship surrounding Gregory Corso, a key figure of the Beat Generation, reveals a complex interplay of praise and critique, reflecting his unique position in American literature. Born in 1930, Corso's work has been influenced significantly by fellow Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, and this relationship is evident in both style and thematic exploration. Corso's poetry is characterized by its originality and musicality, often drawing comparisons to jazz in its dynamic spontaneity. His embrace of surreal imagery and personal narrative challenges conventional poetic norms, offering a style that is both sensual and imaginative.
Corso's imaginative and humorous approach has been favorably compared to that of Ginsberg, with a particular emphasis on his greater sense of humor as discussed in the comparative study. Poems like Gasoline have been celebrated for their revolutionary spirit and inventiveness, as explored in Gasoline. His later works, including Mindfield, are praised as reintroductions to his distinctive voice, highlighted by Dennis Barone.
Despite facing criticism for inconsistency and a decline in productivity due to personal struggles, Corso's work remains a vital component of American literature. His blend of personal narrative with broader social themes distinguishes him from his contemporaries and secures his legacy within the Beat movement, as noted by John Fuller. This unique voice, focused on "pure" poetic expression that values emotional depth and imagination over intellectual clarity, further underscores his contribution to modern poetry, as highlighted by Gerard J. Dullea. As readers delve into Corso's work, they are invited to explore the vital intersection between personal experience and broader cultural commentary.
Contents
- Principal Works
- Corso, (Nunzio) Gregory (Vol. 1)
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Corso, (Nunzio) Gregory (Vol. 11)
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Allen Ginsberg
(summary)
In the following essay, Allen Ginsberg praises Gregory Corso's poetry for its originality, musicality, and spontaneous creativity, likening it to jazz and highlighting its capacity for fresh, autonomous expression that challenges conventional poetic norms.
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Gerard J. Dullea
(summary)
In the following essay, Gerard J. Dullea explores Gregory Corso's poetry, highlighting its sensual and imaginative qualities, the personal celebration of life, and its surreal, often inaccessible imagery that challenges conventional meanings, setting Corso apart as a unique figure in poetry with a focus on "pure" poetic expression over intellectual clarity.
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Allen Ginsberg
(summary)
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Corso, Gregory (Nunzio)
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Review of The Vestal Lady on Brattle
(summary)
In the excerpt below, Denney discusses the concepts of audience and interpretation in modern poetry, using Corso's The Vestal Lady on Brattle as an example.
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Plug, Project, Repeat
(summary)
In the following review of The Happy Birthday of Death, Fraser gives Corso's writing a mixed review, stating that Corso has talent but his views are extreme.
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The Poetry of Gregory Corso
(summary)
In the following essay, Fuller argues that Corso's balanced and autobiographical treatment of reality sets his writing above other Beat writers.
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Gregory Corso: A Poet, the Beat Way
(summary)
In the following essay, Gaiser praises Corso's inner sense of form and imagination, which, she states, raises his work above the quality of other Beat writers.
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No Marvelous Boys
(summary)
In the excerpt below, Seidensticker reviews Corso's Long Live Man, arguing that it is fragmentary and lacking in quality.
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Review of Selected Poems
(summary)
In the review below, Skelton states that while Corso does not control his language, his approach is fresh.
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An Urchin Shelley
(summary)
In the excerpt below, Cook provides an overview of Corso's career, stating that the quality of his work has been uneven.
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Ginsberg and Corso: Image and Imagination
(summary)
In the following essay, Dullea compares Allen Ginsberg and Corso, positing that while Ginsberg is the better writer, Corso exudes a greater sense of imagination and humor.
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Introductory Shot
(summary)
In the essay below, Beyle describes Corso's point of view as childlike.
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Gregory Corso: Sources
(summary)
In the following interview, Corso, with Calhoun, discusses the evolving cultural landscape from the 1950s to the 1960s, his relationships and opinions on other Beat writers such as Kerouac and Ginsberg, and emphasizes the importance of understanding historical and literary sources as foundational to his poetic work.
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Structuralist Analysis of Poetry: Some Speculations
(summary)
In the following essay, Messing analyzes Corso's poem “Poets Hitchhiking on the Highway” in terms of Roman Jakobson's theories on poetics.
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‘To Dream, Perchance to Be’: Gregory Corso and Imagination
(summary)
In the following essay, Skau explores the relationship between social conditions and Corso's response as a writer, particularly the conflict between assimilation and individuality.
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Gasoline
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Stephenson describes Corso's seminal work Gasoline as a conflict between imagination and reality. Gasoline, published in 1958, is the book that established Gregory Corso's literary reputation both in the United States and internationally. It is a seminal work of what has been called 'the new American poetry', interjecting a spirit of wild, improvisatory freedom of creation and unbridled vision into the literature of the postwar period. We recognize in the poems of this collection the same vitality and inventiveness, the same zany humour and euphoria of metaphor that animated the poet's first volume, together with a greater fluency and deftness, a surer sense of shape and focus. A small book, 32 poems on 37 pages, Gasoline lives up to its title: it is a volatile and combustive collection.
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Awakener to the World
(summary)
In the following review, Barone cites Mindfield as an excellent means to discover or rediscover the spontaneous and thought-provoking voice of Corso.
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‘The Arcadian Map’: Notes on the Poetry of Gregory Corso
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Stephenson investigates Corso's “poetic vision,” contending that the poet rejects reality in favor of the possibilities of imagination.
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Traveling Through the Dark: The Wilderness Surrealism of the Far West
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Young examines the work of Corso as a poet of the American West.
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Gregory Corso Dies at 70; A Candid-Voiced Beat Poet
(summary)
In the following obituary, Horan recalls Corso's life and career.
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Review of The Vestal Lady on Brattle
(summary)
- Further Reading