Myths & Texts Signed

by Gary Snyder

The three sequences in the book—"Logging," "Hunting," "Burning"—show the remarkable cohesiveness in Snyder's writings over the years, for we find the poet absorbed, then as now, with Buddhist and Amerindian lore and other interconnections East and West, but above all with the premedical devotion to the land and work.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Religion, Classics

Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Gary Snyder is an American poet, essayist, lecturer, and environmental activist. His early poetry has been associated with the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance and he has been described as the "poet laureate of Deep Ecology". Snyder is a winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the American Book Award. His work, in his various roles, reflects an immersion in both Buddhist spirituality and nature. He has translated literature into English from ancient Chinese and modern Japanese. For many years, Snyder was an academic at the University of California, Davis, and for a time served as a member of the California Arts Council.

Reviews

[Andrew H · Rating 4 out of 5]

These poems linking East and West with an emphasis on ecology grow out of Poundian woodland. Today, their emphasis on recovering a link with the natural world and roots of humanity seems prescient: out current troubled relationship with the Earth is central to Snyder's poetry.

[Mare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snyder's book-length poem can be called mythopoeia; creating modern myth based upon modern culture and history. Snyder's previous work and environmental concerns form the background of his mythic poem. The three religions, Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism reflect his beliefs in his work. I had to read the work twice. The first allowed me to read the poem for rhyme and the second for reason, no pun intended. I do not recommend this to anyone wanting and easy read. For those wishing to be challenged and inspired and enjoy Snyder's work, read, even read it aloud to yourself or someone else.

[Michael Canoeist · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good: these poems from the 1950s are published as one entity, whether that was Gary Snyder's original conception or no, as he was writing them down. It is actually called Myths and Texts. And they work as one entity, divided up into three sections, and you get the thoughts, feelings, and observations of a 20-something young man whose love of outdoor living caused him to work both as a summer forest ranger for several years, and as a logger for some other extended period. Later, he went to Japan and was a seriously practicing Buddhist.

For me, Snyder is the most interesting author to come out of the Beat Generation. In fact, as I think about the others, I would carry that comment one further step and say he is the only interesting author to come out of the Beats. Anatole Broyard, if he counts, might have been another but his output (excluding all those reviews) is too limited to compare.

A man is writing this poetry. It is, in various parts, physical, metaphysical, historical, religious, and heterosexual. I appreciate all those aspects!

The bad: he was a 20-something when he wrote this, he was often lonely up in those lookout perches, and there is a certain amount of adolescent bravado in his tone at times. Those parts are dumb.

Conclusion: it's a short book at 54 pages in my edition and is pretty easy reading. Snyder has some more beautiful lyricism in The Back Country, and maybe a little greater emotional range too. But this poem is good. It has something to say and it says it. Confusion, pretension, irrelevance and murkiness are at a minimum -- well, maybe not a minimum!, but not too bad. There are many echoes of Ezra Pound in it; I liked it.

An excerpt:

Sourdough mountain called a fire in:
Up Thunder Creek, high on a ridge.
Hiked eighteen hours, finally found
A snag and a hundred feet around on fire:
All afternoon and into night
Digging the fire line
Falling the burning snag
It fanned sparks down like shooting stars
Over the dry woods, starting spot-fires
Flaring in wind up Skagit valley
From the Sound.
Toward morning it rained.
We slept in mud and ashes,
Woke at dawn, the fire was out,
The sky was clear, we saw
The last glimmer of the morning star.

Um, can you imagine Allen Ginsberg or Lawrence Ferlinghetti writing that? Much less doing it!!
Jack Kerouac would have started up with great enthusiasm, but after a mile or so he'd drink the sixpack of beer he was carrying and decide the cosmic answer was to let the forest handle its own problems. Gotta respect Gary Snyder and his great vig-ah. Many beautiful moments throughout his poetry.

*And a postscript thought on Pound, having referenced him. He carried high-quality poetic bloodlines. He might have been half-crazy, maddening, narcissistic and difficult, capable of that treacherous wartime betrayal (in his madness), but he remains il miglior fabbro, maker of The Waste Land, and he is like a racehorse with a so-so record who nonetheless turns out to sire many great champions. There is a lot more Ezra Pound than T.S. Eliot in the decades of poetry that followed.

[Kevin Fitzpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

"'Earthly Mothers and those who suck/ the breasts of earthly mothers are mortal--/ but deathless are those who have fed/ at the breast of the Mother of the Universe.'"

Thus follows a quote found in the Gary Snyder poetry book "Myths and Texts." What is the source of this epigram? What is the place of the other references to Chinese sages found throughout this text? Questions like these, however, hardly disturb the overall sense of awe and subtle contentment that one experiences on reading this perceptively realized and beautifully rendered book of poetry. This tome, short as it seems, is in fact filled with salient details of life in the Pacific Northwest wilderness that are lovingly realized in the form of minute particulars that truly portray this life at its most granular. Moreover, another 'strand' of thought with prominent place in the narrative in place here is that of the IWW, or "Wobbly," labor tradition that animated that region of the country in the early years of the twentieth century. To tell you the truth, this tome reminded me a great deal of the writings and style of Jack Kerouac, another writer with ties to Eastern thought and the concept of enlightenment in connection to nature. But Snyder, it appears, is the superior writer, much more in command of his form and details that the more well-known Kerouac. And, in fact, it is the interplay between the particular details of natural wildlife, Eastern thought, and Wobbly politics that makes each aspect of the volume come alive with poetic possibility and the existence of true sublimity. This is truly graceful, deep, and wildly suggestive stuff, a creation of its historical moment that at the same time transcends any anachronistic tendencies that could be present in such an older piece of verse. However, whatever its ultimate historical worth, the poetry here is finely realized, the produce of a master versifier operating at the height of his powers. Read and share in the discoveries, so joyous and true, of the links between the East, the West, nature, and, mostly illuminatingly, the written word!

[Carrie]

Great right after waking from a nap and not putting your glasses on.

[Craig Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing my reading of the Snyder volumes in the Library of America Collected.

Snyder's second collection, Myths and Texts serves as a reminder of how important Ezra Pound was to the poetry world of the 1950s and early/mid 1960s. In some ways, Myths and Texts is a continuation of Riprap and an anticipation of the work to come: the natural environment (not that Snyder makes a distinction between the parts of "reality"), the quest for something like pure perception, the realization of the inevitability of mediation, the presence of the Indian nations of the Northwest.

But, as the title suggests, there's also a greater emphasis on the mythological resonances of the moments Snyder engages. The three sections, "Logging," "Hunting," and "Burning," function both on the material level of Snyder's day by day work; and as pointers towards the historical, mythic, and philosophical dimensions of experience. As he writes in section 13 ("Spikes of new smell") of "Burning": "Poetry a riprap on the slick rock of metaphysics." Like Pound, Snyder creates paths (riprap) of perception juxtaposing Buddhism, Renaissance lyrics, Indian folktales, and references to John Muir. As with Pound, there are moments when you have to be attuned to the contexts of the original sources to see why they're being cobbled together in the ways they are. I've been with Snyder and followed his trails long enough that it wasn't particularly hard to follow, but this probably isn't the place for someone new to his work to start.

Favorite poems: "Again the ancient, meaningless" (poem 5 from "Logging"); "The groves are down" (14 from Logging); "this poem is for bear" (6 from Hunting); "How rare to be born a human being! (16 from Hunting); and the wonderful sequence (9-13) from Burning, which includes these two snippets:

"If, after attaining Buddhad hood, anyone in my land
can't get a ride hitch-hiking in all directions, may I
not attain the perfect enlightenment"

and

"Imprint of flexible mouth-sounds
Seared in the mind, on things.

Coyote: 'I guess there never was a world anywhere'
Earthmaker: 'I think if we find a little world,
I can fix it up.'"

If you get the humor there, you can start with Myths and Text.

[Barrett Brassfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Poetry a riprap on the slick rock of metaphysics”

The last (for now) of my trip through Gary Snyder's early work. I think the line above might be the best general description for how Snyder views poetry. This phrase struck me as infusing so much of his work, especially as he is finding his voice.

“the myth
 
Fire up Thunder Creek and the mountain—
troy’s burning!
The cloud mutters
The mountains are your mind.
The woods bristle there,
Dogs barking and children shrieking
Rise from below.
Rain falls for centuries
Soaking the loose rocks in space
Sweet rain, the fire’s out
The black snag glistens in the rain
& the last wisp of smoke floats up
Into the absolute cold
Into the spiral whorls of fire
The storms of the Milky Way
“Buddha incense in an empty world”
Black pit cold and light-year
Flame tongue of the dragon
Licks the sun
 
The sun is but a morning star”

[Audra · Rating 3 out of 5]

i loved this when i first read it as a 28 year old, high on Buddhism and of on my own Asian adventure after fleeing the Oregon forests. there are strong parts, but (and maybe I'm more jaded now) I'm less enthralled.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three decades ago, I got hold of an early edition. A classic at that time, it was early Snyder poetry from the doorstep of the 1960s. Any outdoorsy people - particularly those interested in non-white cultures - would enjoy it, I believe.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolutely loved some lines, was confused and kinda creeped out by others. worth the read 10/10. the logging section was my favorite.

[Charles Source · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume of Snyder's poems is more abstract and abstruse compared to his first volume (Riprap and Cold Mountain Poems, which I also reviewed recently), and therefore makes for a more challenging read. Perhaps the reason for this is because the theme of this one, like the title says, is myths and texts, with the poetry itself an effort to mythologize its subjects as compared to a simple recounting of an event (the difference between these two is illustrated by the book's final poem, where one version is labeled "the text" and the other "the myth").

For instance, in the poem entitled "Hunting" (all of the poems in Myths and Texts have short, general titles and are composed of many different numbered parts, making for long meditations on each topic), sections are dedicated to different animals (e.g. "this poem is for birds" and "this poem is for bear") and directly reference them ("'As for me I am a child of the god of the mountains,'" begins the poem for bear), but the meaning of other sections can be less clear (e.g. one called "songs for a four-crowned dancing hat" that starts out by addressing Prajapati (the Hindu creator deity)). In another long-form poem, "Burning", Snyder mixes in intriguing references to Buddhism with the natural imagery (e.g. the section "Maitreya the future Buddha" begins with "He's out stuck in a bird's craw/ last night / Wildcat vomited his pattern on the snow."), and in fact he references various myths and ancient religions throughout the book.

While the poems here can be challenging, they're also rich and rewarding and creative, and if you enjoy Snyder's poetry (in its more straightforward, naturalistic form) this book may fascinate you (but don't try to read it all at once, or quickly!).

[Rasmus Tillander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gary Snyderin toinen runokokoelma Myths and Texts (1960) oli selvää edistystä Riprap'iin (1959) nähden, mutta oli se silti raakile. Parikymppisen miehen varmuus hohkaa vähän liian kiusallisesti läpi, kuten joku viisas arvostelija kirjoitti.

Oikeastaan Myths and Texts on yksi pitkä runoteos, joka on jaettu kolmeen osaan: Logging, Hunting ja Burning. Näistä ensimmäinen on ehdottomasti paras, siinä Snyderin maaginen luontokuvailu on etusijalla. Toinen osuus taas jonkinlainen sekoitelma zeniä ja intiaanimyyttejä, molemmat asioita, joissa Snyder oli niin inessä, että näin maallikkona on vaikea pysyä perässä. Kolmasosio on vähän mitään sanomaton sekoitelma vaikka runon aivan viimeinen osio metsäpalosta onkin hyvin kaunis.

Snyderin tekstistä huokuu tietty aitous, hän on varmaan oikeasti elänyt luontoa.

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rain falls for centuries
Soaking the loose rocks in space
Sweet rain, the fire's out
The black snag glistens in the rain
&a the last wisp of smoke floats up
Into the absolute cold
Into the spiral whorls of fire
The storms of the Milky Way
"Buddha incense in an empty world"
Black pit cold and light-year
Flame tongue of the dragon
Licks the sun

The sun is but a morning star"

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small and lovely book of poems that is meant to be savored and deconstructed. Some of the images may not hold up as well as they did in the 1960s, but the sounds and images here call to mind Snyder's work in the Northwest.

[Patti Perkowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

This poetry reads like something a pretentious 20-something “spiritually woke” white guy with dreadlocks would write after he does shrooms for the first time in the woods, and discovers a sliver of the empathy and awareness of surroundings I knew when I was 12.

[Vy Dao · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like him more than eliot

[John Fredrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of Zen in this book of poems, but it is still relatively approachable. I enjoyed the book, though it will require some more looking into.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snyder is a treasure. Wise, funny, insightful and full of love and awe for and at nature.

[Michael P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I identify three types of poems in this book. Some seem autobiographical, but without context to know what they mean. I dislike these. Others are rooted in Snyder’s Buddhist beliefs. I do not understand these. My best description of the rest is to say they are extended haiku. They describe the nature of the California coast or the Pacific Northwest for up to two dozen lines, and the best of those contain a comment that gives perspective to the description. I like these very much. I would give this book an extra star if more of the poems were like these, and fewer were like the others.

This is early work by Snyder, and I am told by those who like modern poetry more than I that he is excellent. I look forward to sampling more of his work.

[Mat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant first book from Pulitzer Prize winning poet Gary Snyder. Here, Snyder combines mythological tales with his own texts to stunning effect. Some of these poems are extremely stripped down that it is hard to make the connections but overall this is a very strong first book from anyone. Great starting point if you are new to Snyder's work. Many of these poems were written from his standpoint as a logger at the time.

[Michael Vagnetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prehistoric rituals, from native tribes to the Bible. Animals and their elements. Vows, cracks, and transformations, snatches of Zen poetry, translated, quotationed. The blessings of work, the history and economy of logging in the Pacific Northwest like a mist through its pines. There are so few fat words; every syllable seems accented.

"A skin-bound bundle of clutchings
unborn and with no place to go
Balanced on the boundless compassion
of diatoms, lava, and chipmunks." (49)

[Derek Pyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't say this stuff really makes sense to me. If you work at it though, a lot of Pacific Rim history is coded into here. According to Gray in Gary Snyder and the Pacific Rim, there are notions about animals and plants that survive...resilient make due and hide through destruction, like pine seeds in fire.

[Bob Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in high school around 1965. In inspired me to explore the forests and high peaks of the American West as well the ideas of Buddhism. I still pick it up to reread periodically. I never tire of it and it remains my favorite book of poetry.

[Holly Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why did I have this as already read? Why did it have 5 stars? What a pack of startling mysteries. Anyway, I didn't hate it.

[Maureen McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book of poems that made me want to be a logger along the Russian River.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short enough to read in one sitting, probably as intended. Parts I enjoyed, the solid imagery, where the vague perhaps mythic portions not so much.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You who live with you grandmother
I'll trail you with dogs
And crush you in my mouth."
-- not that we're cruel--
But a man's got to eat

[Jai Hamid]

Phenomenal (As usual. It is a Gary Snyder).

[R.K. Cowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars