The Selected Poems

by Daniel Anderson

Howard Nemerov -- Poet Laureate of the United States, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets -- was one of the most prolific and significant American poets of the twentieth century. During his lifetime he published thirteen volumes of poetry, and a fourteenth followed shortly after his death in 1991. Judiciously selected and introduced by poet Daniel Anderson, The Selected Poems of Howard Nemerov represents the broad spectrum of Nemerov's virtues as a poet -- his intelligence, his wit, his compassion, and his irreverence. It stands as the retrospective collection of the best of what Nemerov left behind, which is some of the finest poetry that the twentieth century produced. "To keep his errors down to a minimum," W. H. Auden wrote, "the internal Censor to whom a poet submits his work in progress should be a Censorate. It should include, for instance, a sensitive only child, a practical housewife, a logician, a monk, an irreverent buffoon and even, perhaps, hated by all others and returning their dislike, a brutal, foul-mouthed drill sergeant who considers all poetry rubbish." Such are the readers to whom the poetry of Howard Nemerov might appeal. He distinguished himself on the landscape of American letters as a writer of great versatility. More than a decade after his death, that still holds true. In this, the only edition of Nemerov's work that surveys his entire poetic output, first-time readers of these poems will find an introduction to a truly remarkable creative mind. Longtime admirers of Nemerov will be reminded once again of his significance as a craftsman and philosopher, and as a poetic steward of the many ways in which we experience the world.

Genres: Poetry

168 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2003

About the author

Daniel Anderson hails from Madison, Alabama. In his spare time, he enjoys writing fiction while hoping for a better tomorrow.

Reviews

[Denis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the last few months, I'd ready a lot of poetry (most of it by poets of repute) that failed to resonate with me, and I wondered if I'd somehow lost my sense of taste, but this book was a lovely reminder of all that I enjoy about good poetry. In particular, "The Pond" was lovely and powerful, and it will not soon fade from my memory.

[John Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howard Nemerov is a excellent poet who is often over looked. His views the world is slightly ironic but full of compassion.

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nemerov appears to be a poet's poet, highly praised. Perhaps it's a generational thing, but nothing in this solid collection moved me. He's praised for form, and, sure, that stands out, but his content is limpid.

[Evan Pausic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blows a lot of other poets out of the water, in my opinion.

[Yooperprof · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyrical and elegiac. Nemerov (1920-1991) was on the faculty of Washington University where I was an undergraduate. I remember attending a few of his readings. They were well attended but he didn't seem in any way like a "star." I liked his poems, though. They have stood up well, I think, in the 25 years since his death.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I will have to give Nemerov another shot some day. I just didn't love anything in this collection, which seems to span his career. It may have been that I was reading these while waiting, which isn't always the best way to read something. I couldn't devote my entire attention on the book because part of me remained focused on the object of my waiting. I did notice that I enjoyed the poems more as the poet aged. I don't know what that says about me or him, other than I enjoyed the more recent poems better.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of his poems are the equal of (and remind me of) Robert Frost. His career as a poet has been very long.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

He was Diane Arbus' brother: so much talent in one family!

[Gerry LaFemina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nemerov is a good poet, formally interesting, linguisitically charming, and intellectually engaging. But the heart? The poems often feel cold, distilled, and distant.