Louis Zukofsky Criticism
Louis Zukofsky (1904–1978) stands as a central figure in American poetry, predominantly recognized for his leadership within the Objectivist movement, which included contemporaries like William Carlos Williams. Zukofsky's body of work, though sometimes overshadowed during his lifetime, commands significant critical attention today. His magnum opus, the poem A, composed over nearly five decades, offers a comprehensive exploration of American culture and poetic thought. This multi-volume sequence is characterized by innovative techniques that challenge conventional poetic forms, such as syntactic fragmentation and minimal punctuation, which emphasize the complexity of language and evoke sensory experiences. Barry Ahearn highlights how A serves as a collage of personal and historical themes, integrating elements from mathematics, music, and literature.
Zukofsky's poetry, marked by intellectual depth and emotional subtlety, has been celebrated for its rigorous adherence to Objectivist principles. Lorine Niedecker praises the intellectual and musical qualities of his work, though others, like Julian Symons, question its substance. The theoretical writings underpinning his poetic methods have ignited both intrigue and confusion, as Hugh Kenner points out, highlighting the focus on language central to the Objectivist ethos. Zukofsky's influence was acknowledged by younger poets like Duncan and Creeley, who drew inspiration from his pioneering approaches.
His translation work, particularly the rendition of Catullus, emphasizes phonetic imitation, prioritizing sound over conventional readability, as critiqued by Burton Raffel. This endeavor showcases Zukofsky's commitment to experimental poetics, as also noted by Thomas A. Duddy, who comments on the unique musicality and structural precision that Zukofsky brings to his work, potentially adding a new classical dimension to American poetry.
Despite early obscurity, Zukofsky's later years saw a growing recognition of his profound impact on modern American poetry. His ability to weave personal histories with cultural insights and innovative poetics situates him within the American epic tradition, as discussed by Joseph Cary. Philip R. Yannella underscores the precision and elegance of his language, which engages deeply with themes of music, science, and family. Moreover, Robert Creeley notes the harmonious blend of diverse elements in Zukofsky's style, resulting in a polyphonic and universal order.
Though his experimental techniques, particularly in A, can present structural challenges and result in tediousness, as William Harmon critiques, the ongoing interpretative challenges continue to engage scholars and poets. Zukofsky's enduring influence on modern poetry is assured, as his works remain a cornerstone for those exploring the intersections of language, music, and meaning.
Contents
- Principal Works
- Zukofsky, Louis (Vol. 4)
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Zukofsky, Louis (Vol. 18)
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On Louis Zukofsky
(summary)
In the following essay, Philip R. Yannella explores Louis Zukofsky's poetic achievements, emphasizing the elegance and precision of his work, his deep engagement with music and science, and his unique integration of intellectual and familial themes, positioning Zukofsky as both a modern innovator and a preserver of poetic tradition.
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Poems of a Lifetime
(summary)
In the following essay, Joseph Cary examines Louis Zukofsky's poem "A", recognizing it as a complex and extensive work that combines elements of personal history, cultural heritage, and poetic innovation, positioning it within the American epic tradition and highlighting its ongoing significance and interpretative challenge for future readers.
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All Ears Hear Here
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert Creeley examines Louis Zukofsky's lifelong poetic work "A," highlighting its intricate linguistic artistry, domestic focus, and the harmonious integration of diverse elements, concluding with a polyphonic blend of music, thought, drama, and poetry that speaks to universal order.
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Eiron 'Eyes'
(summary)
In the following essay, William Harmon explores the intricate use of irony, language, and translation in Louis Zukofsky's work, particularly in his poem "A," while critiquing its structural challenges and the potentially tedious results of Zukofsky's experimental techniques.
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On Louis Zukofsky
(summary)
- Zukofsky, Louis (Vol. 1)
- Zukofsky, Louis (Vol. 2)
- Zukofsky, Louis (Vol. 7)
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Zukofsky, Louis (Vol. 11)
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No Tidbit Love You Outdoors: Far as a Bier: Zukofsky's 'Catullus'
(summary)
In the following essay, Burton Raffel critiques Zukofsky's translation of Catullus for its phonetic imitation of Latin at the expense of coherent English, arguing that while it occasionally achieves poetic brilliance, it largely fails as both a translation and a readable text, resembling more a musical or poetic experiment.
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The Measure of Louis Zukofsky
(summary)
In the following essay, Thomas A. Duddy explores the intricate relationship between aurality and measure in Louis Zukofsky's poetry, emphasizing the distinctive musicality and structural precision of his work, and suggesting that Zukofsky's approach hints at a potential classicism in American poetry, akin to music, that balances epic and lyric forms.
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Louis Zukofsky
(summary)
In the following essay, Kenneth Cox examines Louis Zukofsky's poetry, highlighting its brevity, technical skill, and diversity, while noting its experimental nature and capacity for intellectual depth and emotional subtlety.
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No Tidbit Love You Outdoors: Far as a Bier: Zukofsky's 'Catullus'
(summary)
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Zukofsky, Louis
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The Poetry of Louis Zukofsky
(summary)
In the following essay, Niedecker calls attention to the experimentalism, intellectual richness, and musical quality of Zukofsky's poetry.
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From the Past, Two Familiar Voices
(summary)
Rexroth was one of the pioneers in the revival of jazz and poetry in the San Francisco area during the 1940s and 1950s. In his criticism he has examined such varied topics as Greek mythology, the works of D. H. Lawrence, jazz, and the cabala. In the following excerpt, he asserts Zukofsky's preeminence as an American poet and offers effusive praise for Some Time.
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A Necessary Poetry
(summary)
Levertov is a leading post-World War II American poet. Her early verse is often described as neo-Romantic, while her later writing reflects the influence of the objectivist poetry of William Carlos Williams and Ezra Pound as well as the projectivist work of "Black Mountain" poets Robert Creeley, Charles Olson, and Robert Duncan. In the following review of "A" 1-12, Levertov expresses high esteem for the volume and defines the strength of Zukofsky's poetry.
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A Note on Louis Zukofsky
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Creeley claims Zukofsky's poetry bears a true correspondence to human experience.
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Beyond the Heirlooms of Tradition
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One of the foremost contemporary American poets, Rich also writes criticism from a feminist perspective. In the following review of Found Objects, she evaluates Zukofsky's verse in terms of the poetic traditions that shaped it.
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After Sedley, after Pound
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In the following review of All: The Collected Short Poems, 1923-1958, Davie compares Zukofsky both to writers of the 1930s who apotheosized intellect and the manipulation of language and to the tradition represented by Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams.
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Louis Zukofsky
(summary)
Carruth is a well-respected and prolific American poet whose verse is frequently autobiographical, varied in mood and form, and noted for its unadorned and precise language. In the following essay, he contends that in Zukofsky's best poetry linguistic simplicity belies thematic and structural complexity, but finds the remainder of his verse 'unexceptional.'
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All = Nothing
(summary)
In the following essay, he disparages Zukofsky's verse, labeling it insubstantial.
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Louis Zukofsky with L. S. Dembo
(summary)
In the following interview, Zukofsky, with Dembo, elucidates his perspective on poetry, emphasizing the importance of "sincerity" and "objectification" in poetry, rejecting philosophical jargon, and advocating for an artistic engagement with the tangible world through words, which he sees as physical entities that form objects and convey authentic experience.
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Classroom Accuracies
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Kenner discusses Zukofsky in the context of the Objectivist movement, focusing on the objectivist preoccupation with language.
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Origins of ¢' : Zukofsky's Materials for Collage
(summary)
In the following essay, he explicates the origins of the collage method evident in 'A.'
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Portrait of the Artist as a Young Jew: Zukofsky's 'Poem beginning "The"' in Context
(summary)
In the following essay, Tomas explicates 'Poem beginning 'The'' as a statement by Zukofsky on his situation as a Jew in modern, secular Western society.
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From A to An: The Postmodern Twist in Louis Zukofsky
(summary)
In the following essay, Comens asserts that Zukofsky's poetry heralds postmodernism through the negation of the absolute.
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Dismantling 'Mantis': Reification and Objectivist Poetics
(summary)
In the following essay, he assesses the significance of 'Mantis,' Zukofsky's 'most graphic example of formalism in dialogue with modern materialism'; Davidson notes that the amalgamation of poetic form and materialism is also a prominent aspect of 'A.'
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The Poetry of Louis Zukofsky
(summary)
- Further Reading