Lisa Mueller Criticism
Lisel Mueller, a German-born American poet, essayist, and translator, is celebrated for her lyrical and introspective verse that delves into the human experience and the intricacies of language. Her work, often autobiographical, reflects on her heritage and poetic evolution. Mueller's collection, Alive Together, awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1997, epitomizes her thematic focus on balancing personal history with universal narratives.
Born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1924, Mueller fled the Nazi regime with her family, settling in the United States in 1939. Her academic pursuits at the University of Evansville fostered a deep appreciation for the poetry of John Keats, and her career evolved from social work to poetic creation. Her debut collection, Dependencies, published in 1965, highlighted her affinity for intertwining art, music, and literature.
Mueller’s oeuvre includes The Private Life, which probes public and private dichotomies, as noted in The Private Life. Her subsequent collection, The Need to Hold Still, further examines these themes, praised by Stephen Corey in Lives on Leaves. In Second Language, Mueller explores memory and language, earning commendation from Peter Stitt in The Whirlpool of Image and Narrative Flow. Her later work, Waving From Shore, continues this introspective journey, lauded by Judith Kitchen in A Want Ad.
Mueller's poetry is noted for its clarity and emotional truthfulness, as affirmed by critics like Judith Kitchen in What Persists. Her insights into language and storytelling, influenced by her bilingualism, reveal a profound connection to cultural history and personal identity. Lisel Mueller's contributions to poetry remain significant, offering a rich tapestry of themes that resonate with the complexities of language and life.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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The Private Life
(summary)
In the following essay, Plumly offers a mixed assessment of The Private Life.
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To the Wall
(summary)
In the following review, Allen contrasts Mueller's The Private Life with Robert Pack's collection, Keeping Watch. Allen highlights Lisel Mueller's genius for finding subjects and describes her collection as thoroughly intelligent, characterized by a loving, responsive tone that captures the essence of having a private life.
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Lives on Leaves
(summary)
In the following review, Corey offers a laudatory assessment of Mueller's The Need to Hold Still. In The Need to Hold Still Mueller perfects a voice that has learned to react personally to all people, things, times, and places. The title poem, speaking of an aging woman who gathers bouquets of skeletal winter weeds, renders in human terms what Mueller's voice has learned in poetic terms: living is caring, simplicity can be wisdom.
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A Conversation With Lisel Mueller
(summary)
In the following essay, Lisel Mueller, in conversation with Stan Sanvel Rubin and William Heyen, reflects on her creative process, her immigrant background, and the dualities of being a female poet in America, exploring themes of identity, historical influence, and the intersection of private and public life.
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The Sounds and Silences of Lisel Mueller's The Private Life
(summary)
In the following essay, Hentz traces the theme of silence in Mueller's poetry.
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An interview with Lisel Mueller
(summary)
In the following interview, Mueller, with Nancy L. Bunge, explores her bilingualism's influence on her poetry, the Germanic elements and thematic evolution in her work, critiques on American poetry's tendencies, and perspectives on teaching poetry, emphasizing the profound impact of socio-political history on literary innovation.
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Lisel Mueller and the Idea of Midwestern Poetry
(summary)
In the following essay, Solyn analyzes Mueller's definition of Midwestern poetry.
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The Whirlpool of Image and Narrative Flow
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Stitt provides a positive review of Mueller's Second Language, indicating both her general methodology and her central thematic concerns.
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Main Things
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Fulton praises the sincerity and simplicity of Mueller's verse in Second Language.
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A Want Ad
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Kitchen applauds the sensibility and accessibility of Mueller's Waving From Shore.
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Waving From Shore
(summary)
In the following review, Brumm offers a positive assessment of Waving From Shore, contending that Mueller has “succeeded in creating a complex and eloquent canvas.”
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Parentage and Good Luck
(summary)
In the following essay, Mueller discusses her identification with women poets and the American literary tradition.
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What Persists
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Kitchen praises Mueller's Alive Together, maintaining that “over the years, she has held herself to a standard of clarity and truthfulness in language as well as in emotion.”
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Naming the Unnamable
(summary)
In the following essay, Townsend provides a laudatory review of Mueller's Alive Together.
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The Private Life
(summary)