Robert Creeley Criticism
Robert Creeley (1926–2005) stands as a critical figure in American poetry, renowned for his influential role in the Black Mountain movement alongside contemporaries like Charles Olson. His contributions have left an indelible mark on modern poetry, celebrated for a style that is both spare and intensely resonant with the natural rhythms of speech. Creeley's poetic philosophy centered on the belief that form should mirror content, often employing short, breath-determined lines to achieve this effect. This commitment to matching form with meaning is intricately tied to his broader adherence to projectivism, a concept explored in Terry R. Bacon's analysis of closure in Creeley's work.
Creeley's precision in measure has drawn comparisons to Ezra Pound, as noted by William Carlos Williams, with Creeley's style praised for its unique subtlety and precision. His approach challenges traditional coherence, opting instead for a fragmented, immediate experience, a technique that Richard Howard identifies as distinctive. The poet's ability to influence and even intimidate his contemporaries is highlighted by LeRoi Jones, emphasizing Creeley's significant impact on his peers.
In his collection Words, Creeley delves into the complexities of rational thought and love, reflecting an evolving process that integrates intellect, emotion, and intuition. This depth is further examined by Cynthia Dubin Edelberg. His later work, such as Later, is distinguished by a mature exploration of love and simplicity, with Joel Oppenheimer acknowledging Creeley's resolution of past dilemmas.
Creeley's exploration of the singular self and everyday realities, as discussed by Warren Tallman, reveals his profound insights into the human condition. His focus on aging and minimalist style, emphasized by Alan Williamson, solidifies his stature as a master of psychological realism in American poetry. Creeley's body of work continues to be a source of rich critical scholarship, inviting readers to explore the depth and nuance of his contributions to literature.
Contents
- Creeley, Robert (Vol. 1)
- Creeley, Robert (Vol. 2)
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Creeley, Robert (Vol. 15)
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Poetry: 'A Form of Women'
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In the following essay, LeRoi Jones critiques Robert Creeley's book A Form of Women, highlighting its erosive and challenging nature, its potential to influence and intimidate other poets, and the intricacies of Creeley's style that demand active engagement from the reader.
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Robert Creeley: 'I Begin Where I Can, and End When I See the Whole Thing Returning'
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In the following essay, Richard Howard explores Robert Creeley's distinctive poetic style, which rejects conventional continuity and coherence, aiming instead for a fragmented and isolating experience that confronts the reader with the raw immediacy of life, absent of traditional imagery and formal structure.
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Robert Creeley's Words: The Comedy of the Intellect
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In the following essay, Cynthia Dubin Edelberg argues that Robert Creeley's poetry collection "Words" explores the limitations of rational thought and love while emphasizing a diverse range of perceptions, ultimately portraying Creeley's evolving poetic process and his struggle to reconcile intellectual, emotional, and intuitive elements in his work.
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Creeley Now
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In the following essay, Joel Oppenheimer praises Robert Creeley's poetry in Later for its evolution toward a more gentle and mature expression of love, highlighting its rich simplicity and the poet's resolution of past dilemmas, establishing Creeley as a major voice in contemporary literature.
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Music to Your Ears
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In the following essay, Alan Williamson examines Robert Creeley's Later, highlighting its exploration of aging and minimalist style, while noting Creeley's place in American poetry as a "little master" of psychological realism who blends tautology and memory with poignant lyricism.
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Poetry: 'A Form of Women'
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- Creeley, Robert (Vol. 4)
- Creeley, Robert (Vol. 8)
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Creeley, Robert (Vol. 11)
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Robert Creeley's Tales and Poems
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In the following essay, Warren Tallman examines Robert Creeley's focus on the singular self in his tales and poems, arguing that Creeley's exploration of individuality, perception, and everyday realities is marked by a unique concentration and sensitivity, which allows him to capture profound insights into the human condition.
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Closure in Robert Creeley's Poetry
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In the following essay, Terry R. Bacon explores the concept of closure in Robert Creeley's poetry, arguing that while his early work demonstrates a structured poetic closure, his later work leans towards fragmented expressions, embodying projectivism by maintaining perceptual integrity despite a lack of structural development.
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Robert Creeley's Tales and Poems
(summary)