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John Keats.
Near Fine Hardcover Archon Books, 1969. Book. Near Fine. Hardcover. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Complete in two (2) volumes, uniformly bound in blue buckram, spine panels lettered in gold foil. Both volumes show former owner's book plate mounted inside front covers, foxed text block edges, otherwise as issued. Dust jackets show mild edge wear with a few short closed tears, shallow loss at head of Vol. II spine panel, now in mylar. xx,631 + viii,662 pp..
2 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1925
About the author
Amy Lowell
196 books88 followersA leader of the imagists, American poet Amy Lawrence Lowell wrote several volumes, including
Sword Blades and Poppy Seed
(1914).
A mother bore Amy into a prominent family. Percival Lowell, her brother and a famous astronomer, predicted the existence of the dwarf planet Pluto; Abbott Lawrence Lowell, another brother, served as president of Harvard University.
The Lowell family deemed not proper attendance at college for a woman, who instead compensated with her avid reading to nearly obsessive book collecting. She lived as a socialite and traveled widely; a performance of Eleonora Duse in Europe inspired her, who afterward turned in 1902. In 1910, Atlantic Monthly first published her work.
She published A Dome of Many-Coloured Glass , apparently first collection, in 1912. In 1912, rumors swirled that supposedly lesbian Lowell reputedly lusted for actress Ada Dwyer Russell, her patron. Her more erotic work subjected Russell. The two women traveled together to England, where Lowell met Ezra Pound, a major influence at once and a major critic of her work. Mercedes de Acosta romantically linked Lowell despite the brief correspondence about a memorial for Duse that never took place, the only evidence that they knew each other.
Lowell, an imposing figure, kept her hair in a bun and wore a pince-nez. She smoked constantly and claimed that cigars lasted longer than cigarettes. A glandular problem kept her perpetually overweight, so that Witter Bynner once called her a "hippopoetess," and Ezra Pound repeated this cruel comment. Her works also criticized French literature, and she penned a biography of John Keats.
People well record fetish of Lowell for Keats. Pound thought merely of a rich woman, who ably assisted financially the publication and afterwards made "exile" towards vorticism. Lowell early adhered to the "free verse" method.
Lowell died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 51 years. In the following year of 1926, people awarded her the posthumous Pulitzer Prize for What's O'Clock . People forgot her works for years, but focus on lesbian themes, collection of love, addressed to Ada Dwyer Russell, and personification of inanimate objects, such as in The Green Bowl , The Red Lacquer Music Stand , and Patterns caused a resurgence of interest.
A mother bore Amy into a prominent family. Percival Lowell, her brother and a famous astronomer, predicted the existence of the dwarf planet Pluto; Abbott Lawrence Lowell, another brother, served as president of Harvard University.
The Lowell family deemed not proper attendance at college for a woman, who instead compensated with her avid reading to nearly obsessive book collecting. She lived as a socialite and traveled widely; a performance of Eleonora Duse in Europe inspired her, who afterward turned in 1902. In 1910, Atlantic Monthly first published her work.
She published A Dome of Many-Coloured Glass , apparently first collection, in 1912. In 1912, rumors swirled that supposedly lesbian Lowell reputedly lusted for actress Ada Dwyer Russell, her patron. Her more erotic work subjected Russell. The two women traveled together to England, where Lowell met Ezra Pound, a major influence at once and a major critic of her work. Mercedes de Acosta romantically linked Lowell despite the brief correspondence about a memorial for Duse that never took place, the only evidence that they knew each other.
Lowell, an imposing figure, kept her hair in a bun and wore a pince-nez. She smoked constantly and claimed that cigars lasted longer than cigarettes. A glandular problem kept her perpetually overweight, so that Witter Bynner once called her a "hippopoetess," and Ezra Pound repeated this cruel comment. Her works also criticized French literature, and she penned a biography of John Keats.
People well record fetish of Lowell for Keats. Pound thought merely of a rich woman, who ably assisted financially the publication and afterwards made "exile" towards vorticism. Lowell early adhered to the "free verse" method.
Lowell died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 51 years. In the following year of 1926, people awarded her the posthumous Pulitzer Prize for What's O'Clock . People forgot her works for years, but focus on lesbian themes, collection of love, addressed to Ada Dwyer Russell, and personification of inanimate objects, such as in The Green Bowl , The Red Lacquer Music Stand , and Patterns caused a resurgence of interest.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 16, 2019
This was a brilliant biography, and I really enjoyed reading it. For Keats lovers, I would recommend it as a great companion to Andrew Motion's Keats and Nicholas Roe's John Keats: A New Life. It is wonderful to get the perspective of a woman on Keats as a person, and on Fanny Brawne, too. Amy Lowell was also a poet, and considers Keats' poetry with a no-nonsense poet's eye. The other aspect of this biography that stands out is that it was written a hundred years ago, and has a strong authorial presence - akin to that in 19thC novels - rather than the reticent, self-effacing authorial voice of modern biographies.
There are a few instances where Lowell reaches an incorrect conclusion, or where she didn't have access to papers or knowledge discovered since her time. However, she always makes clear her line of reasoning, so the well-read Keatsian won't find themselves astray.
There is a great deal of analysis of Keats' poetry, which won't suit every reader, but it is usefully integrated with his personal biography, and I happily read every word. Lowell is also great in her consideration of Keats' almost religious approach to beauty, love and truth.
One of the things Lowell brings to the table is a clear love for John Keats - which is how many or even most people respond to him - and a personable manner in which the reader feels we're sitting down with Lowell for a delightful long afternoon to talk together about one of our favourite people. Not that she lets her affection blind her, for she is always honest and open about those times in which Keats behaved or wrote in ways that were less than ideal.
I think it took this woman biographer to clearly see the problem with Keats' letters to Fanny Brawne: his selfishness. Other people have written about his jealousies and insecurities, which are clear in the letters and are understandable (if not really forgivable) in the circumstances - but they are not the crux of the problem. Lowell gets right to the heart of it. As a result of this and of other very reasonable considerations, Lowell is utterly fair to Fanny Brawne as a patient, intelligent and loyal woman - an excellent match for Keats, even if his friends at the time didn't see it or didn't want to see it. One wonders why the controversy about Brawne and her suitability still lingers on!
Lowell is similarly clear-sighted and fair about Keats' various friends and relations. Some of this was delightfully refreshing to read.
Highly recommended for all Keatsians. It's out of print, alas, but worth tracking down!
There are a few instances where Lowell reaches an incorrect conclusion, or where she didn't have access to papers or knowledge discovered since her time. However, she always makes clear her line of reasoning, so the well-read Keatsian won't find themselves astray.
There is a great deal of analysis of Keats' poetry, which won't suit every reader, but it is usefully integrated with his personal biography, and I happily read every word. Lowell is also great in her consideration of Keats' almost religious approach to beauty, love and truth.
One of the things Lowell brings to the table is a clear love for John Keats - which is how many or even most people respond to him - and a personable manner in which the reader feels we're sitting down with Lowell for a delightful long afternoon to talk together about one of our favourite people. Not that she lets her affection blind her, for she is always honest and open about those times in which Keats behaved or wrote in ways that were less than ideal.
I think it took this woman biographer to clearly see the problem with Keats' letters to Fanny Brawne: his selfishness. Other people have written about his jealousies and insecurities, which are clear in the letters and are understandable (if not really forgivable) in the circumstances - but they are not the crux of the problem. Lowell gets right to the heart of it. As a result of this and of other very reasonable considerations, Lowell is utterly fair to Fanny Brawne as a patient, intelligent and loyal woman - an excellent match for Keats, even if his friends at the time didn't see it or didn't want to see it. One wonders why the controversy about Brawne and her suitability still lingers on!
Lowell is similarly clear-sighted and fair about Keats' various friends and relations. Some of this was delightfully refreshing to read.
Highly recommended for all Keatsians. It's out of print, alas, but worth tracking down!
Displaying 1 of 1 review