R. P. Blackmur Criticism
R. P. Blackmur (1904–1965) was an American critic, poet, and editor whose insightful and imaginative approach established him as a prominent figure in the New Criticism movement. His work is noted for its focus on the intricacies of language, advocating that poetry's meaning emerges when words "resume their full life" through the interplay of language within the poem. Blackmur did not adhere to a singular critical theory but instead tailored his analytical approach to the unique style of each literary work. This versatility is evident in his debut, The Double Agent, where he examines the strengths and weaknesses of poets like Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, and Wallace Stevens. Language As Gesture, regarded as his finest collection, delves into the technical facets of poetry and marks his transition towards incorporating social critique, later expanded in The Lion and the Honeycomb and his essays on Henry Adams. Despite his sometimes convoluted syntax, Blackmur's contributions remain highly influential. His critical method, though technically rigorous, has been critiqued for separating form from content, as noted by Delmore Schwartz, and for sometimes obscuring broader significance, as H. J. Muller observes. His complex style has prompted further examination by critics like Alfred Kazin and John Wain, who debate the balance between his analytical depth and literary clarity. As described in Stanley Edgar Hyman's work, Blackmur is celebrated for treating literature as a serious subject worthy of meticulous study, a sentiment echoed in R.W.B. Lewis's analysis of The Lion and the Honeycomb.
Contents
- Blackmur, R(ichard) P(almer) (Vol. 2)
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Blackmur, R(ichard) P(almer) (Vol. 24)
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The Critical Method of R. P. Blackmur
(summary)
In the following essay, Delmore Schwartz critiques R. P. Blackmur's primarily technical method of literary criticism, noting its valuable contributions to understanding poetry while also highlighting its limitations, particularly the separation of form and content, and urging that both elements should be considered inseparable for a fuller appreciation of poetic works.
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The New Criticism in Poetry
(summary)
In the following essay, H. J. Muller critiques R. P. Blackmur's literary criticism for being overly focused on technique and form at the expense of broader significance, noting his lack of a cohesive theory, vague use of terms like "sensibility," and difficulty with expressing ideas clearly in his prose.
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Criticism and Isolation
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In the following essay, Alfred Kazin critiques R. P. Blackmur's "The Expense of Greatness," arguing that Blackmur's intensely brilliant and technically acute criticism, though providing significant insights, often prioritizes the mechanics of criticism over literature itself, leading to an elevated yet ambiguously lucid style that distances literature from its social context.
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R. P. Blackmur and the Expense of Criticism
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In the following essay, Stanley Edgar Hyman examines Richard P. Blackmur's critical approach, emphasizing his unique capacity for meticulous analysis and his belief that criticism should primarily concern itself with literature as literature, while addressing Blackmur's perceived dilettantism and ultimately affirming his serious contribution to literary criticism.
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Trials of the Word
(summary)
In the following essay, R.W.B. Lewis discusses R. P. Blackmur's collection of essays, The Lion and the Honeycomb, highlighting Blackmur's exploration of the tensions between art and life, and his call for a reconnection between intellect and power through a "modus vivendi" to restore faith in language.
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Poetic in the Common Enterprise
(summary)
In the following essay, Denis Donoghue explores R. P. Blackmur's critical work, "The Lion and the Honeycomb," highlighting Blackmur's concerns about the "new illiteracy," his complex views on literature as a bearer of understanding, and his critique of formulaic approaches while emphasizing literature's role in reflecting and organizing human experience.
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Inside the Featherbed
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In the following essay, Hugh Kenner critiques R. P. Blackmur's approach to literary criticism, arguing that while Blackmur excels in analyzing the linguistic subtleties of poets like Cummings and Stevens, his theoretical principles often lead to convoluted interpretations, exemplifying a tendency towards linguistic playfulness at the expense of clarity and precision.
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R. P. Blackmur: The Technical Critic As Romantic Agonist
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard Foster examines the evolution of R. P. Blackmur's critical style from a Jamesian focus on technical analysis towards a more romantic, philosophical approach, highlighting Blackmur's transition from a critic who emphasized empirical methods to one who engaged with the mysteries of art and literature as a poet-priest.
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Four Contemporary Critics: R. P. Blackmur
(summary)
In the following essay, John Wain critiques R. P. Blackmur's complex and often obfuscating critical style, arguing that while Blackmur's work is highly respected, it tends to prioritize elaborate language over clarity and substance, ultimately suggesting that his poetic prose hinders effective literary criticism.
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R.P. Blackmur: The Later Phase
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In the following essay, Joseph Frank examines R. P. Blackmur's use of the symbolic imagination as a secular equivalent to religious imagination, highlighting its role in his intellectual biographies and criticism, while also addressing the challenges posed by Blackmur's dialectical approach and evolving style that prioritize general metaphysical ideas over specific literary analysis.
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An Unfinished Man: 'Henry Adams'
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In the following essay, Viola Hopkins Winner analyzes R.P. Blackmur's interpretation of Henry Adams, highlighting Blackmur's focus on the symbolic rather than empirical, his projection of artistic consciousness, and the limitations in his critique of Adams's works, especially regarding the undervaluation of Adams's wit and irony.
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Style As Compensation
(summary)
In the following essay, Denis Donoghue explores R. P. Blackmur's distinctive style, arguing that Blackmur's poetic and inventive use of language allows him to explore complex themes and ultimately achieve freedom from the constraints of his subject matter, akin to the epiphanic qualities of lyric poetry.
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Gerald J. Pannick
(summary)
In the following essay, Gerald J. Pannick argues that R. P. Blackmur's critical work evolved from an eighteenth-century Classicist perspective to a more Romantic orientation, blending both approaches to elevate literary criticism to an art form by integrating rational analysis with emotional and aesthetic experience.
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The Critical Method of R. P. Blackmur
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Criticism by R. P. Blackmur
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D. H. Lawrence and Expressive Form
D. H. Lawrence Criticism
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T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot Criticism
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The Method of Marianne Moore
Marianne Moore Criticism
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A Critic's Job of Work
I. A. Richards Criticism
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The Structure of Poetry
Cleanth Brooks Criticism
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The Politics of Human Power
Lionel Trilling Criticism
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A Modern Poet in Eden
Archibald MacLeish Criticism
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Edwin Muir: Between the Tiger's Paws
Edwin Muir Criticism
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Nine Poets
Laura Riding Criticism
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Notes on the Novel: 1936
L. H. Myers Criticism
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Henry and Brooks Adams: Parallels to Two Generations
Brooks Adams Criticism
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A Citation of T. S. Eliot
F. O. Matthiessen Criticism
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A Note on Yvor Winters
Yvor Winters Criticism