May Swenson Criticism
May Swenson, an influential American poet born in Logan, Utah, and educated at Utah State University, has left an indelible mark on the landscape of American poetry. Her debut collection, Another Animal (1954), announced her emerging talent, as John Berryman noted, marking the beginning of a prolific career that included works like A Cage of Spines (1958). Nat Hentoff praised this collection for its perceptive song-like qualities. Swenson's poetry, renowned for its vivid observations of nature and human behavior, is characterized by playful experimentation with language, metaphor, and sound, drawing comparisons to Marianne Moore and e e cummings. Critics such as Sven Birkerts have appreciated her technical prowess, noting her progression from external to introspective themes throughout her career.
Swenson’s work, including posthumous collections like The Love Poems of May Swenson (1991) and The Complete Poems to Solve (1993), captures a wide range of thematic interests, from romantic to environmental subjects. Critics like Edward Hirsch, Doris Earnshaw, and Alfred Corn have celebrated her exploration of Eros and her rich sensory language. However, Birkerts and others have pointed out a perceived lack of emotion or social consciousness in her work. Despite this critique, her poetry is celebrated for its technical mastery and inventive spirit, securing her place in American literature.
Swenson's multifaceted poetry blends scientific inquiry with artistic expression, a theme particularly evident in her collection Iconographs. Here, as Alicia Ostriker discusses, she uses visual shapes to explore the interplay between the tangible and the speculative, balancing order and randomness akin to the natural world. This sophisticated blend of precision and curiosity does, however, draw mixed responses. William Stafford questions whether her approach consistently yields substantial encounters, while Anne Stevenson highlights her balance of intellectual discipline with emotional depth. Her meditative, Imagist-influenced style demonstrates intense objectivity and a mystical vision through meticulous descriptions, as noted by Jascha Kessler.
Although some critics like Victor Howes and Rosemary Johnson highlight a perceived lack of emotional and philosophical depth in her work, Swenson's poetry remains engaging through its unique observational style. Poems such as "Snow in New York," analyzed by Charles Saunders, showcase her ability to incorporate subtle allusions and explore themes of memory and imagination. This balance of vivid imagery and thematic exploration underscores the ironic necessity of poetry in a pragmatic world, demonstrating Swenson's lasting impact on literary scholarship.
Contents
- Principal Works
-
Swenson, May (Vol. 106)
-
The Long Way to MacDiarmid
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Berryman provides a primarily positive review of Another Animal.
-
A Cage of Spines
(summary)
In the following excerpt from a review of poetry collections by five different authors, Gibbs characterizes A Cage of Spines as the best of the five volumes, but notes that Swenson could have been "less cautious" in presenting more than superficial topics in her poems.
-
May Swenson
(summary)
In the following excerpt from her Modern American Women Poets, Gould provides an overview of Swenson's life and career.
-
Rhyme and Reason: Reading Poetry for Pleasure
(summary)
In the following excerpt from a review of five books of poetry, Disch offers praise for In Other Words, noting especially Swenson's flair for writing poetry that deals with minutiae.
-
May Swenson
(summary)
In the following essay taken from his volume, The Electric Life, Birkerts explores Swenson's progression during her career from an emphasis on presenting detached, technically adroit poems treating outside objects to an emphasis on more introspective poems expressing an inner voice and treating themes such as the role of the self in the scheme of life. Birkerts concludes by asserting his contention that Swenson did not always utilize her full capacity as a writer in her poetry.
-
May Swenson, a Humorous Poet of Cerebral Verse, Is Dead at 76
(summary)
In the following obituary, Bernstein surveys Swenson's life and career.
-
Important Witness to the World
(summary)
In the following essay, Van Duyn, who was a friend of Swenson, offers a tribute to Swenson, reflecting on both Swenson's personal attributes and on her poetry.
-
Poetic Voices
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Collier applauds In Other Words: New Poems, asserting that the volume presents what he terms Swenson's "vision of incredible integrity."
-
May Swenson: A Memorial Tribute
(summary)
In the following essay, Wilbur commemorates Swenson's contributions to poetry, providing an overview of her life and career.
-
'Turned Back to the Wild by Love'
(summary)
In the following review, Hirsch offers a highly laudatory assessment of The Love Poems of May Swenson.
-
The Love Poems of May Swenson
(summary)
In the following review, Earnshaw praises The Love Poems of May Swenson, highlighting the posthumous publication of her poems celebrating Eros and describing Swenson's language as rich in sensual texture, rhyme, and rhythm. Earnshaw notes that Swenson's exploration of love is more about the precision of attraction than narrative or dramatic interest, comparing it to Martin Buber's definition of God as a power found in relationships.
-
A review of The Love Poems of May Swenson
(summary)
In the following review, Corn applauds the poems in The Love Poems of May Swenson, which he asserts are, except one, all erotic in nature.
-
The Complete Poems to Solve
(summary)
The following review offers a highly favorable assessment of The Complete Poems to Solve. Included in this volume are seventy-two poems for young readers, many of which appeared in Poems to Solve. In addition to several riddle poems, the collection contains a variety of verses that are evidence of the scope of Swenson's imaginative powers and verbal skills. Examples of her shaped poems, in which the placement of the words on the page suggests the subject, are represented by 'Of Rounds' and 'How Everything Happens (Based on a Study of the Wave),' two of her more accessible and most frequently anthologized works. This gifted poet asks much of her young readers. As she says in her introduction, 'The identity or significance of what's inside [a poem] may be concealed or camouflaged by the dimensions or shape of its 'box.' For the perceptive reader, however, the joys of revealed meaning can be intense and personal. Swenson's unique vision can bring an egg, a stick afloat in the ocean, or a dandelion into fresh perspective. There is humor in 'Analysis of Baseball,' clever word play in 'To Make a Play,' and unexpected, dazzling imagery everywhere. Swenson's reputation has grown since her death in 1989, and for good reason.
-
A Mysterious and Lavish Power: How Things Continue to Take Place in the Work of May Swenson
(summary)
In the following essay, Russell examines Swenson's poetry, focusing on the author's approach to and treatment of lesbian themes.
-
Life's Miracles: The Poetry of May Swenson
(summary)
In the following essay, Schulman explores Swenson's treatment of the themes of life, love, and death in her poetry.
-
A review of May Out West and Nature: Old and New
(summary)
In the following review, Gunter praises May Out West and Nature: Old and New, commending both Swenson's poetic voice and her technical mastery.
-
The Long Way to MacDiarmid
(summary)
-
Swenson, May (Vol. 14)
-
A Five-Book Shelf
(summary)
In the following essay, William Stafford analyzes May Swenson's poetic technique, emphasizing her deftness in starting with precision and expanding into deeper realms, while also questioning whether her curiosity and cleverness will consistently yield substantial poetic encounters.
-
May Swenson and the Shapes of Speculation
(summary)
In the following essay, Alicia Ostriker argues that May Swenson's poetry uniquely combines scientific inquiry and poetic form, employing visual shapes in her collection Iconographs to explore the interplay between the tangible and the speculative, while maintaining a balance between order and randomness that mirrors the natural world.
-
All Things Bright and Beautiful
(summary)
In the following essay, Rosemary Johnson critiques May Swenson's poetry collection "New and Selected Things Taking Place," highlighting Swenson's "transparency of self" and unique observational style, which, while enhancing the clarity of her work, sometimes leaves it lacking depth and inspiration, especially regarding human subjects and the poet's engagement with nature and scientific themes.
-
With Head and Heart
(summary)
In the following essay, Anne Stevenson argues that May Swenson's poetry, characterized by its cleverness and skepticism, balances intellectual discipline with emotional depth, emphasizing observation over exploration, and demonstrates a sophisticated seriousness through witty and moving reflections on personal and universal themes.
-
Poems with Polish
(summary)
In the following essay, Victor Howes argues that while May Swenson's poetry in "New and Selected Things Taking Place" is polished and visually captivating, it often lacks depth, as her focus remains on vivid imagery rather than delving into more profound emotional or philosophical themes.
-
May Swenson's 'New and Selected Things Taking Place'
(summary)
In the following essay, Jascha Kessler argues that May Swenson's poetry, particularly in New and Selected Things Taking Place, reflects a meditative, Imagist-influenced style characterized by intense objectivity, impersonal observations, and a mystical vision through meticulous descriptions and ethical contemplation of the natural world.
-
Swenson's 'Snow in New York'
(summary)
In the following essay, Charles Saunders argues that May Swenson's poem "Snow in New York" subtly incorporates an allusion to Nijinsky's performance in "Le Spectre de la Rose," enhancing its thematic exploration of the intersection of memory, imagination, and the ironic necessity of poetry in a pragmatic world.
-
A Five-Book Shelf
(summary)
- Swenson, May (Vol. 4)
-
Swenson, May
-
The Long Way to MacDiarmid
(summary)
Berryman is considered one of the most important modern American poets. His work developed from objective, classically controlled poetry into an esoteric, eclectic, and highly emotional expression of his personal vision. In the following review of Another Animal, Berryman finds some of Swenson's verse undistinguished but also cites indications of promise.
-
Spines and Other Worlds
(summary)
In the following excerpt, he offers a favorable review of A Cage of Spines, noting that May Swenson continues to indicate she's a poet with an eye that cuts into essences and an ear for song, although the melodies are still rather constricted.
-
Has Anyone Seen a Trend?
(summary)
A New England poet in the tradition of Robert Frost, Scott was a conventional lyricist who favored a straightforward, uncluttered style in his many biographical and story poems. In the following excerpt, he praises Swenson's talent but chastises her excessive cleverness in A Cage of Spines.
-
A Cage of Spines
(summary)
In this excerpt, Gibbs attempts to define the poetry of A Cage of Spines, concluding with a wish that Swenson would attempt more ambitious poetry.
-
To Mix with Time
(summary)
In the following excerpt from a review of To Mix with Time, Hecht offers an enthusiastic endorsement of Swenson's ability, indicating that she deserves to be compared to Elizabeth Bishop, while also noting the distinct idiom and voice of Swenson's poetry.
-
Underestimations
(summary)
Recognized as a national authority on poetry, Kennedy is well respected as a poet for adults as well as children. His verse is written in traditional metric patterns and acknowledged for its amusing and incisive qualities. In the following review, Kennedy praises To Mix with Time.
-
May Swenson
(summary)
Howard is an American poet, critic, and translator who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1970 for his poetry collection Untitled Subjects (1969). In the following essay, he traces the poetic style evinced in Swenson's verse, finding it magical and incantatory.
-
The Experience of Poetry in a Scientific Age
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Swenson discusses poetry as an art and compares poetry to science.
-
New Poetry: The Generation of the Twenties
(summary)
Early associated with the confessional school of poetry, Davison is an American poet whose first collection of verse, The Breaking of the Day (1964), won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. In the following excerpt, he finds Half Sun Half Sleep less successful than Swenson's previous verse collections. Davison critiques May Swenson's new work, noting that while her technical skill remains strong, the emotional freedom of her poems seems cramped by the elaboration of technique.
-
May Swenson: The Art of Perceiving
(summary)
In this essay, she discusses the roles of observation and description in Swenson's poetry.
-
Iconodule and Iconoclast
(summary)
In the following excerpt, she praises Iconographs: "These poems combine ecstasy with exactness, and speak the truth in truthful language."
-
May Swenson and the Shapes of Speculation
(summary)
A feminist critic and poet, Ostriker has published numerous studies on the relationship between gender and literature. In the following excerpt, she discusses the feminist power of Swenson's poetry, particularly the poems in Iconographs.
-
Owls, Monkeys and Spiders in Space
(summary)
In the following excerpt from a review of In Other Words, he calls attention to the combination of wordplay and seriousness in Swenson's poetry.
-
A review of The Love Poems of May Swenson
(summary)
A noted contemporary American poet, Corn has received praise for the informal yet controlled style of his verse, which synthesizes traditional and modern elements. In the following review, he finds many poems in The Love Poems of May Swenson erotic and memorable.
-
A Mysterious and Lavish Power: How Things Continue to Take Place in the Work of May Swenson
(summary)
In the following essay, Russell compares Swenson to other women poets such as Marianne Moore, Elizabeth Bishop, and Emily Dickinson and considers Swenson's refusal of the label 'lesbian poet.'
-
Poetry in Review
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Hammer extols the lyricism of Swenson's poems in the posthumous collection Nature. May Swenson's Nature collects most of the major work of a master poet. The book's full title is Nature: Poems Old and New, and all of the poems in it in some way concern Swenson's great, lifelong subject, nature. The new poems include ten published for the first time and nineteen published for the first time in book form, perhaps as many as five of which are important additions to Swenson's achievement. The old poems include much of Swenson's New and Selected Things Taking Place (now long out of print), a few poems from In Other Words (the final book Swenson published before her death in 1989), and a selection from two posthumous volumes. Nature lacks the clarity of a compact 'Selected Poems' and the comprehensiveness of a reliable 'Collected'—its topical format makes it something different from (and I think something less than) either of those desirable things. But it is the best collection of Swenson's poetry yet published, and that means it is an extremely valuable book.
-
The Long Way to MacDiarmid
(summary)
- Further Reading