A Key Into the Language of America: Poetry

by Rosmarie Waldrop

The legacy of cultural imperialism, the consequences of gender, and the marginalization of the conquered are themes that combine and comment, one on the other, in Rosmarie Waldrop's remarkable new work," A Key into the Language of America." As 'formally adventurous' (A.L. Nielson, Washington Review) as ever, German-born Waldrop has based her new collection on Rhode Island founder Roger Williams's 1643 guide (of the same name) to Narragansett Indian language and lore.

Genres: Poetry

66 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1994

About the author

Rosmarie Waldrop (born August 24, 1935), née Sebald, is a contemporary American poet, translator and publisher. Born in Germany, she has lived in the United States since 1958. She has lived in Providence, Rhode Island since the late 1960s. Waldrop is coeditor and publisher of Burning Deck Press, as well as the author or coauthor (as of 2006) of 17 books of poetry, two novels, and three books of criticism.

Reviews

[Old Man JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is, probably, one of the most unusual books I've read. It's extremely short and a very quick read. Rosmarie Waldrop is a name I recognize as the translator of some of the books I've read as well as a poet and this book seems to be a combination of both. It is taken from a book written by Roger Willams in 1643 about the Narragansett Indians. She has taken the chapter titles from his book and translated his very old style prose into modern language. Each chapter is written in a very short, one paragraph, narration of his topic but in a somewhat abstract poetic style. She then includes an assortment of random words that seem to relate to the subject and finishes each chapter with a moralizing poem. Not an easy read but a book I really enjoyed.

[Greg Bem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty unique book of found poetry via Roger Williams's writing on Native American language in New England. It is short and messy but leaves a lot of questions unanswered in the best way.

[Brimmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A challenging,complex and utterly fascinating read.