Hayden Carruth Criticism
Hayden Carruth (1921–2008) stands as a formidable figure in American letters, recognized for his work as a poet, critic, novelist, and editor. His poetry, notable for its autobiographical roots, is distinguished by emotional depth and precise language, exploring themes of life's fragility, existential dilemmas, and social responsibility. Carruth's self-described philosophy of "radical secular existentialism" is reflected in his thoughtful and unadorned style, contributing to his broad appeal and critical acclaim. His critical essays, as compiled in volumes like Working Papers and Effluences from the Sacred Caves, have been commended for their directness and humanity by critics such as Judith Weissman.
Critics including D. J. R. Bruckner and Thomas Swiss have praised Carruth's sincerity and technical prowess. Although some, like Joe Ashby Porter, have found elements of his criticism naive, the emotional intensity of Carruth's work and his dedication to depicting human experience continue to earn widespread respect. His commitment to the social responsibility of criticism marks a significant part of his legacy.
In his versatile poetry, Carruth employs a breadth of moods and verse forms. Influenced by Yeats, his style is sometimes critiqued as excessively formal and academic. Nevertheless, the sustained power and emotional depth of his longer poems are celebrated, as seen in "To Artemis," where Paul Ramsey highlights his use of dignified free verse to delve into existential themes. The Bloomingdale Papers emerges as a poignant reflection of Carruth's time in a mental institution, marked by a determination to communicate and infused with humor, as described by David Bromwich and David Shapiro. The collection's collage-like structure vividly conveys the essence of mid-twentieth-century exile and the strains of mental illness.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Carruth, Hayden (Vol. 18)
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Books: 'Brothers, I Love You All'
(summary)
In the following essay, Adrienne Rich praises Hayden Carruth's poetry collection "Brothers, I Loved You All: Poems 1969–1977" for its emotional depth and the poet's ability to fuse personal voice with collective experience, observing that Carruth's work grows more profound with age as he continues to care deeply about both poetry and life.
- Philip Booth
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Fire Poets
(summary)
In the following essay, Charles Molesworth critiques Hayden Carruth as a moralist poet who straddles traditional skepticism and historical progress, emphasizing authentic language and genuine emotion over fashionable trends, ultimately valuing Carruth's poetry for its sincerity and clarity of vision.
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The Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
(summary)
In the following essay, Alastair Reid contends that Hayden Carruth's collection, Brothers, I Loved You All: Poems 1969–1977, illustrates his dedication to poetry through its rich variety, energy, and exploration of personal and existential themes, securing his place among the most important contemporary poets.
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Books: 'Brothers, I Love You All'
(summary)
- Carruth, Hayden (Vol. 4)
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Carruth, Hayden (Vol. 10)
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Paul Ramsey
(summary)
In the following essay, Paul Ramsey examines Hayden Carruth's poem "To Artemis," highlighting its dignified and reverent free verse structure, nuanced sound and motion, and the challenge it presents in balancing different types of free verse, while exploring the limits faced by contemporary poets in expressing intense existential experiences.
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David Bromwich
(summary)
In the following essay, David Bromwich explores Hayden Carruth's The Bloomingdale Papers as a poignant document of his time in a mental institution, emphasizing its raw need to communicate and its testament to Carruth's endurance and observant humor.
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David Shapiro
(summary)
In the following essay, David Shapiro examines Hayden Carruth's The Bloomingdale Papers, highlighting its collage-like structure and reflection of mid-twentieth-century exile, while praising the poetry's use of randomness and allusion to create a compelling narrative under the pressures of mental illness and institutional confinement.
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Paul Ramsey
(summary)
- Carruth, Hayden (Vol. 7)
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Carruth, Hayden (Vol. 84)
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An introduction to Working Papers: Selected Essays and Reviews
(summary)
In the following essay, Weissman surveys Carruth's critical works, concluding: "[Carruth's] progress has taken him continuously deeper into the knowledge of his own humanity, and of the humanity of literature."
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Working Papers: Selected Essays and Reviews
(summary)
In the following review, he provides a positive assessment of Working Papers.
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The Odyssey of Hayden Carruth
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In the following essay, Flint surveys Carruth's body of work, paying particular attention to The Sleeping Beauty and Working Papers.
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Working Papers: Selected Essays and Reviews
(summary)
In the following mixed review of Working Papers, he faults some of Carruth's essays as 'glib and naive,' but lauds the author's ability to write about poetry 'with modesty, intelligence, and generosity.'
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Effluences from the Sacred Caves: More Selected Essays and Reviews
(summary)
In the following excerpt from his introduction to his Effluences from the Sacred Caves, Carruth reflects on philosophy and literature and discusses his approach to writing.
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'I Have Made This Song': Hayden Carruth's Poetry and Criticism
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In the following essay, Swiss surveys several of Carruth's collections of poetry and criticism and lauds the author for his technical skill and his earnest and straightforward approach in both genres.
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Voice Is Everything
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In the following review, he applauds the skill with which Carruth employs a variety of voices and themes in If You Call This Cry a Song.
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The Selected Poetry of Hayden Carruth
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In the following review of The Selected Poetry of Hayden Carruth, Shaw remarks: "Warts and all, this is a collection animated by a seriousness of purpose, a vocational commitment which few poets nowadays can match."
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Words without Music about All That Jazz
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In the following review, he determines that Sitting In provides "an uneven performance with a number of fine, thought-provoking moments."
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Homages to Life
(summary)
The following excerpt is from Faulkner's laudatory review of Tell Me Again How the White Heron Rises and Flies Across the Nacreous River at Twilight Toward the Distant Islands.
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Chants and Chain Saws
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In the following excerpt from a review of Collected Shorter Poems, 1946–1991, he asserts: "Something Hayden Carruth does as well as any living writer is to treat the reader as a friend, and to provide, through his poetry, hours of good company."
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A review of Collected Shorter Poems, 1946–1991
(summary)
In the following review of Collected Shorter Poems, 1946–1991, he provides a positive assessment of the collection, commenting: "[T]his volume demonstrates what some readers have long known: Hayden Carruth possesses greater range of style, scope of subject, and diversity of formal skills than any other poet working in the United States today."
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An introduction to Working Papers: Selected Essays and Reviews
(summary)
- Further Reading