W. S. Merwin on Being Sure

6 Comments

  1. Lyle Daggett
    Lyle Daggett April 22, 2013 at 1:03 am .

    Small typing error at the end of the third paragraph above — should say &quot;at Thomas&#39;s <i>bedside</i>…&quot;

  2. Lyle Daggett
    Lyle Daggett April 22, 2013 at 12:57 am .

    I can&#39;t say I&#39;ve ever had a great affinity for Berryman&#39;s poetry, though I do read him from time to time.<br /><br />A few years back I read Eileen Simpson&#39;s book <i>Poets in Their Youth</i>, her memoir of John Berryman (she was his first wife) and their friends in the poetry world. The book covers roughly the time of their marriage (late 1940&#39;s) through the end of their

  3. Ed Baker
    Ed Baker April 20, 2013 at 6:51 pm .

    yes. and yes. As: <br />I tend towards <br />thinking (that)<br />the image/poem<br />is<br />in the poet/artist,<br />not he in it:<br /><br />though to &#39;spit-it-out&#39;<br />as the piece its Self<br />demands<br /> from: His Toy, His Dream, His Rest<br />236<br /><br />When Henry swung, in that great open square,<br />the crowd was immense, the little clouds were white<br />and it

  4. Joseph Hutchison
    Joseph Hutchison April 20, 2013 at 12:10 pm .

    You&#39;re both right, I think. Berryman&#39;s academic writing is fresh and adventurous in some ways, and his prose style shares some of the qualities of his verse, but the content doesn&#39;t enter into his poetry. I never thought of it before, but Lowell, who was no academic, is more academic in his poetry than Berryman. Hmmmm.

  5. vazambam (Vassilis Zambaras)
    vazambam (Vassilis Zambaras) April 20, 2013 at 6:29 am .

    Conrad&#39;s right on Berryman here.

  6. Conrad DiDiodato
    Conrad DiDiodato April 19, 2013 at 9:50 pm .

    Berryman&#39;s one of those exceptionally rare individuals who could be both an academic and a poet at the same time. The two never mixed. He might as well have been an insurance executive. His are among the most mind-blowing verses I&#39;ve ever read. A great talent and I don&#39;t mind saying I&#39;ve taken my cue from in a few places.

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