The Mind's Landscape: William Bronk and Twentieth-Century American Poetry

by David W. Clippinger

Having written two previous books about American poet Bronk (1918-99), Clippinger here charts the network of similarities and differences between him and poets he seems to resemble, as was as those with whom he seems to share little. He makes no attempt to construct a lineage of writers. Among progenitors he discusses Robert Frost and Wallace Stevens; among peers George Oppen and Charles Olson; and among readers and inheritors, Susan Howe. Distributed in the US by Associated University Presses. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Karola · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtfully compiled overview of Bronk's oeuvre. Brimming with quotations from various collections of WB's poetry, accompanied by well-researched commentary and drawn links between Bronk, Frost, Oppen, et al.

If your aim is to understand Bronk vis à vis the 20th century (American) literary scene(s), the influences on his work, and his echange with his contemporaries, this is a good starting point. For those looking to better understand the philosophy and metaphysics inherent in Bronk's poetry, his essay collection Vectors and Smoothable Curves will be a more suitable book.