Richard Tillinghast Criticism
Richard Tillinghast is a distinguished American poet and critic known for his exploration of the "hidden and mysterious significance" of everyday objects and events. His debut poetry collection, Sleep Watch (1969), showcases his skill in blending confessional and introspective poetry, as argued by Alan Williamson. This work is noted for its rich imagery, lyrical depth, and the interplay between experimental free-verse and traditional forms. Critics like James Atlas emphasize the influence of Robert Lowell in Tillinghast's unique voice and stylistic evolution. Additionally, Henry Taylor and Robert Watson highlight the collection's imaginative tension and vibrancy.
Tillinghast's second collection, The Knife and Other Poems (1981), furthers his experimental approach, marked by rhythmic nuance and image juxtaposition, creating a collage effect that examines the influence of the past on the present. The title poem, as discussed by William Doreski and James Finn Cotter, explores symbolic brotherhood and self-recognition. The Knife also addresses disillusionment and political themes, reflecting the countercultural ambivalence of its time, as noted by Alan Williamson. While Stephen Behrendt critiques the collection's cohesion, he acknowledges Tillinghast's craft and symbolic influences, highlighting his potential for future growth.
Contents
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The Future of Confession
(summary)
In the following essay, Alan Williamson argues that Richard Tillinghast's early volume Sleep Watch showcases a unique blend of confessional and introspective poetry, marked by a rich imagery and lyrical depth that explores themes of nostalgia, fright, and spiritual journeys through a distinctive stylistic evolution.
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'At the First Doorway of the Lost Life'
(summary)
In the following essay, James Atlas examines Richard Tillinghast's Sleep Watch, highlighting the poet's unique voice, the influence of Robert Lowell, and the subtle blending of emotion and imagery, emphasizing Tillinghast's ability to evoke a sense of perpetual motion and introspective distance in his work.
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Boom, Recent Poetry from University Presses
(summary)
In the following essay, Henry Taylor evaluates Richard Tillinghast's first poetry collection, Sleep Watch, noting the book's vibrant imaginative tension and varied stylistic modes, while expressing concern over a potential rigid adherence to one style despite the poet's proficiency in both experimental and traditional forms.
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Five Sleepers
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert Watson evaluates Richard Tillinghast's Sleep Watch, highlighting the poet's ability to blend everyday experiences with surrealism, noting the charm and complexity of Tillinghast's work, and acknowledging his mastery of language and rhythm despite occasional self-indulgence.
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The Mind Afoot
(summary)
In the following essay, William Doreski examines Richard Tillinghast's poem "The Knife," highlighting its exploration of symbolic brotherhood and the relationship between man and the material world, while emphasizing its Whitmanesque qualities and the poem's narrative as an allegory of self-recognition and knowledge acquisition.
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Ghosts and Crises
(summary)
In the following essay, Bruce Bennett discusses Richard Tillinghast's "The Knife and Other Poems," emphasizing its themes of haunting memories, the futility of longing, and the contrast between somber reflections and the lyrical clarity that ultimately suggests the possibility of transcendence.
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Outer and Inner Poetry
(summary)
In the following essay, James Finn Cotter examines Richard Tillinghast's use of archetypal imagery and personal voice in "The Knife and Other Poems," highlighting the poet's skillful depiction of epiphanic moments and the occasional contrivance in his alter-ego use, while praising his economical and vivid detail choice reminiscent of oriental art.
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At Borders, Think
(summary)
In the following essay, Alan Williamson examines Richard Tillinghast's book The Knife, arguing that it poignantly addresses the disillusionment and political questions faced by the post-1960s generation, highlighting Tillinghast's stoic and incisive poetic style amidst themes of counterculture, political ambivalence, and personal alienation.
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The Sharp and the Dull
(summary)
In the following essay, Stephen Behrendt evaluates Richard Tillinghast's The Knife and Other Poems, acknowledging the poet's skillful craftsmanship and Symbolist influences, but also critiquing the collection for its lack of cohesion in some poems, while recognizing the potential for Tillinghast's future growth.
Criticism by Richard Tillinghast
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Poetry Chronicle
Derek Walcott Criticism
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Seamus Heaney's ‘Middle Voice.’
Seamus Heaney Criticism
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Stars and Departures, Hummingbirds and Statues
Mary Oliver Criticism
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Elizabeth Bowen: The House, the Hotel & the Child
Elizabeth Bowen Criticism
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John Crowe Ransom: Tennessee's Major Minor Poet
John Crowe Ransom Criticism
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Chants and Chainsaws
Gary Snyder Criticism
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Blunt Instruments
Sharon Olds Criticism
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Brian Friel: Transcending the Irish National Pastime
Brian Friel Criticism
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Brian Friel: Transcending the Irish National Pastime
Brian Friel Criticism
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'They Were as Good as We Were': The Stories of William Trevor
William Trevor Criticism
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James Dickey: The Whole Motion
James Dickey Criticism
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Damaged Grandeur: The Life of Robert Lowell
Robert Lowell Criticism
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Robert Lowell's Day by Day: 'Until the Wristwatch is Taken From the Wrist'
Robert Lowell Criticism
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Selected Poems
Galway Kinnell Criticism
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The Poet of the 5:51
Louis Simpson Criticism
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From Michigan and Tennessee
Charles Wright Criticism
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Poets Are Born, Then Made
Craig Raine Criticism
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Working the Night Shift
Philip Levine Criticism
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Arts and Letters: The First National Poetry Series
Sterling Brown Criticism
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Natural Virtues
Maxine Kumin Criticism
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Chants and Chain Saws
Hayden Carruth Criticism
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Nature, Fantasy, Art
Amy Clampitt Criticism
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Ten New Poets
Katha Pollitt Criticism
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Poems of Imagination and Fancy
Frederick Morgan Criticism