Richard Howard Criticism
Richard Howard, an influential American poet, critic, and translator, is renowned for his structured and historically inspired poetry. His work often employs narrative verse and dramatic monologue, drawing frequent comparisons to Browning due to its neoclassic elements. Howard's poetry is characterized by its elegance, wit, and precision, though some critics, such as Robert K. Martin, have questioned the depth of his personal voice amidst his mastery of past literary styles. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 1970 for Untitled Subjects, Howard explores the tension between civilization and chaos, as noted by Martin, and themes such as homosexuality and alienation in collections like Fellow Feelings. Robert Philips highlights Howard's epigrammatic wit, cautioning against excessive verbal flourish, while John R. Reed appreciates his transformation of personal history into fables through art-inspired narratives. Further, Henry Sloss contrasts the "Good Angel" in Howard's earlier works with the "Bad Angel" in later ones, examining themes of will, constraint, and paradox across his oeuvre.
Contents
-
Howard, Richard (Vol. 10)
-
The Unconsummated Word
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert K. Martin examines Richard Howard's poetry, lauding its elegance, wit, and precision while questioning the depth of Howard's personal voice amidst his mastery of recreating past literary styles and themes, especially highlighting the tension between civilization and chaos as central to Howard's artistic expression.
-
Robert Philips
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert Philips asserts that Richard Howard's collection "Fellow Feelings" showcases his remarkable talent through its exploration of themes like homosexuality and alienation, emphasizing Howard's deft use of epigrammatic wit while cautioning against potential overindulgence in verbal flair.
-
John R. Reed
(summary)
In the following essay, John R. Reed argues that Richard Howard's Fellow Feelings masterfully transforms personal history into fables through art-inspired narratives, highlighting the universal struggles of artists while creating compelling personal statements from familiar stories like Donatello's David and Simone Martini's Annunciation.
-
'Cleaving and Burning': An Essay on Richard Howard's Poetry
(summary)
In the following essay, Henry Sloss examines Richard Howard's poetry, contrasting the "Good Angel" present in works like Untitled Subjects and Two-Part Inventions, which are characterized by pleasure and openness, with the "Bad Angel" in Findings and Fellow Feelings, where themes of will and constraint prevail, while also exploring recurring themes such as paradox, preconception, contra-naturam, and the past.
-
The Unconsummated Word
(summary)
- Howard, Richard (Vol. 7)