Poems Of J.V. Cunningham

by J.V. Cunningham, Timothy Steele

The lifework in verse of one of the century's finest and liveliest American poets, this collection of the poems of J. V. Cunningham (1911-85) documents the poet's development from his early days as an experimental modernist during the Depression to his emergence as the master of the classical “plain style” -- distinguished by its wit, feeling, and subtlety.

Often identified with the epigram -- a genre in which he excelled as distinctively as Jonson, Herrick, and Landor -- Cunningham also wrote in a wide range of other poetic forms and was a remarkable translator. This collection, designed to show the poet's range and skill, incorporates the materials of his 1971 Collected Poems and Epigrams and restores their original arrangement. It also adds many of his later poems and translations and some uncollected pieces from his periodicals.

Timothy Steele's notes and introduction assist in re-establishing Cunningham's position as a twentieth-century original, a poet who is remembered equally for emotional power and stylistic purity.

Genres: Poetry

253 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 1997

About the author

Poet and essayist.

Reviews

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

His early poems struck me as stuffy and occasionally came across as the lines of a poet who wanted you to know how hard he was trying. But as he aged, he seemed to take himself less seriously, and there are lots of quippy, funny, naughty little poems. I liked his translations, too.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Poems:
“The Aged Lover Discourses in the Flat Style”

[Rosa]

“Chili.”

[Daniel Klawitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your book affords
The peace of art,
Within whose boards
The passive heart

Impassive sleeps,
And like the flowers,
Though scentless, keeps
The scented hours.

---J.V. Cunningham, "Acknowledgement"---

This is a very important book, collecting all the poems (few as they are) of J.V. Cunningham, master of the epigram. Timothy Steele does a fantastic job with his introduction and commentary on Cunningham's place in the poetry world. If the only Cunningham poem you are familiar with is "To My Contemporaries", then you are missing out on some of the most artful, metered and enjoyable rhymed poetry produced by an American writer. Some of the poems are a little outdated now, but the vast majority retain their cleverness, wit, and sharp edges. And Cunningham's aesthetic is still a tasty antidote to over-modernist prejudice in poetry composition.