Linda Pastan Criticism
Linda Pastan is an esteemed American poet known for her ability to transform the everyday events of human life into compelling poetic narratives. Her debut collection, A Perfect Circle of Sun (1971), showcases her skill in capturing the essence of "dailiness"—a recurring theme throughout her work. Pastan's poetry often explores familial complexities, as seen in Aspects of Eve (1975), and delves into themes of loss and acceptance in The Five Stages of Grief (1978). Her collection Waiting for My Life (1982) examines the tensions between desire and duty.
Critics have lauded Pastan for her clear and unpretentious writing style, which encourages readers to find wonder in the mundane. Despite tackling traditional topics like love, aging, and loneliness, Pastan intertwines these themes with references to folktales, legends, and biblical stories, enriching her work with layers of meaning. As argued by Thomas Lask and noted by Janet Bloom, while Pastan's understated style sometimes approaches sentimentality, it is often redeemed by its dignified innocence and technical precision. Her poetry continues to resonate for its simplicity, depth, and personal insight, making her a significant voice in contemporary literature.
Contents
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Voices from the Distaff Side
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In the following essay, Thomas Lask argues that Linda Pastan's "A Perfect Circle of Sun" integrates individual poems into a cohesive work that explores familial ties, heritage, and love, while critiquing her tendency towards understatement in expressing emotional depth.
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A Plea for Proper Boldness
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In the following essay, Janet Bloom critiques Linda Pastan's A Perfect Circle of Sun for its insular, controlled poetic style that excludes life's complexities and passions, while also noting Pastan's technical skill and occasional boldness, particularly in her poem "Emily Dickinson."
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Choice
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In the following essay, the critic examines Linda Pastan's Aspects of Eve, highlighting its clear, figurative language and objectivist free verse style that, while genuine and economical in expression, may lack sufficient intensity to fully engage the reader's imagination.
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Image and Essence: Some American Poetry of 1975
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In the following essay, Paul Ramsey examines Linda Pastan's collection Aspects of Eve, highlighting the effective use of varied imagery and narrative techniques to explore profound themes such as death, endurance, and kindness, and praising poems like "David," "Algera," and "Folk Tale" for their natural and uncontrived composition.
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Chants, Parables, Sagas: New Books by Women Poets
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In the following essay, Kathryn Ruby argues that Linda Pastan's Aspects of Eve is a powerful and contemporary collection that skillfully incorporates classical myths within poems that resonate with modern familial experiences, avoiding sentimentality while remaining personal and compelling.
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The Experience of the Idea
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In the following essay, Samuel Hazo argues that Linda Pastan's poetry, including her book The Five Stages of Grief, is marked by a consistent excellence characterized by precise language and a mature, humanistic vision infused with wit and irony, distinguishing her work from transient ideological trends.
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Choice
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The critic highlights Linda Pastan's "The Five Stages of Grief: Poems" for its evocative imagery and consistent tone, likening it to familiar myths expressed in fresh language while exploring life's complexities and the nuanced process of grieving through delicately crafted poems.
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Violence, Imagery, and Introspection
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In the following essay, Peter Stitt argues that while Linda Pastan excels in crafting precise and vivid imagery in her poetry, her thematic cohesion, particularly in The Five Stages of Grief, is less successful, as evidenced by the unresolved thematic progression in her work.
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Desmond Graham
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In the following essay, Desmond Graham argues that Linda Pastan's poetry skillfully explores themes of dual loneliness—stemming from family commitments and the solitary life of a poet—through a colloquial style and innovative metaphors, highlighting her strength in human understanding and metaphorical timing.
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Alan Brownjohn
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In the following essay, Alan Brownjohn evaluates Linda Pastan's "Selected Poems," noting that while the poems risk sentimentality and sameness due to their brevity and mild diction, they often avoid these pitfalls through controlled imagery, and he observes a developing strength and resonance in her later works.
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Waiting for My Life
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The critic highlights Linda Pastan's growth in "Waiting for My Life," noting her mature voice that blends delicate irony with grace, while emphasizing her distinctive style characterized by purity, clarity, and precision, using short lines and economical language to achieve simplicity and integrity.
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Some Recent American Poetry: Come All Ye Fair & Tender Ladies
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In the following essay, Dave Smith explores Linda Pastan's poetry, particularly in her collection Waiting For My Life, emphasizing its simplicity, depth, and the tension between desire and daily life, likening it to fairy tales and highlighting its themes of fidelity, betrayal, and the persistence of dailiness.
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PM/AM: New and Selected Poems
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The critic contends that Linda Pastan's poetry, noted for its stark simplicity and conventional, family-oriented values, achieves a refined technical skill and inspiration through plain language, short lines, and classical metaphors, warranting a reassessment of her role in contemporary poetry with the publication of "PM/AM: New and Selected Poems."
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Word Play
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In the following essay, Hugh Seidman critiques Linda Pastan's poetry, highlighting her focus on domestic and quotidian themes, her symbolic use of imagery, and a style marked by clarity and depth, though he notes a lack of risk-taking and a missed potential for linguistic vitality in her work.