The Jacob's Ladder

by Denise Levertov

Denise Levertov is surely one of the most impressive of the younger poets writing in English today. Her earlier books (Here and Now, Overland to the Islands, With Eyes at the Back of Our Heads) were notable on several counts: technically, for her fine ear and her skill with free but controlled forms; in their substance, for the intensity––and clarity––of her very personal vision. These qualities persist in The Jacob's Ladder, and to them has been added––particularly in the powerful sequence on themes suggested by the Eichmann trial––a larger social concern, a more penetrating identification with the great problems of humanity. In addition, thirteen poems from the now out-of-print earlier volume Overland to the Islands are included by courtesy of Jonathan Williams, the original publisher.

Genres: Poetry

88 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

American poet Denise Levertov was born in Ilford, Essex, England. Her mother, Beatrice Spooner-Jones Levertoff, was Welsh. Her father, Paul Levertoff, from Germany migrated to England as a Russian Hassidic Jew, who, after converting to Christianity, became an Anglican parson. At the age of 12, she sent some of her poems to T. S. Eliot, who replied with a two-page letter of encouragement. In 1940, when she was 17, Levertov published her first poem.

During the Blitz, Levertov served in London as a civilian nurse. Her first book, The Double Image, was published six years later. In 1947 she married American writer Mitchell Goodman and moved with him to the United States in the following year. Although Levertov and Goodman would eventually divorce, they had a son, Nickolai, and lived mainly in New York City, summering in Maine. In 1955, she became a naturalized American citizen.

During the 1960s and 70s, Levertov became much more politically active in her life and work. As poetry editor for The Nation, she was able to support and publish the work of feminist and other leftist activist poets. The Vietnam War was an especially important focus of her poetry, which often tried to weave together the personal and political, as in her poem "The Sorrow Dance," which speaks of her sister's death. Also in response to the Vietnam War, Levertov joined the War Resister’s League.

Much of the latter part of Levertov’s life was spent in education. After moving to Massachusetts, Levertov taught at Brandeis University, MIT and Tufts University. On the West Coast, she had a part-time teaching stint at the University of Washington and for 11 years (1982-1993) held a full professorship at Stanford University. In 1984 she received a Litt. D. from Bates College. After retiring from teaching, she traveled for a year doing poetry readings in the U.S. and England.

In 1997, Denise Levertov died at the age of 74 from complications due to lymphoma. She was buried at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, Washington.

Levertov wrote and published 20 books of poetry, criticism, translations. She also edited several anthologies. Among her many awards and honors, she received the Shelley Memorial Award, the Robert Frost Medal, the Lenore Marshall Prize, the Lannan Award, a grant from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Reviews

[Tom Greentree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable and (at times) evocative poetry. I want to read more of her work.

——————————

Marvellous Truth, confront us
at every turn,
in every guise, iron ball,
egg, dark horse, shadow,
cloud
of breath on the air,

dwell
in our crowded hearts
our steaming bathrooms, kitchens full
of things to be done, the
ordinary streets.

Thrust close your smile
that we know you, terrible joy.

(“Matins vii” from The Jacob’s Ladder, page 60)

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the First Communion
and the banquet of mangoes and
bridal cake, the young daughters
of the coffee merchant lay down
for a long siesta, and their white dresses
lay beside them in quietness
and the white veils floated
in their dreams as the flies buzzed.
But as the afternoon
burned to a close they rose
and ran about the neighborhood
among the halfbuilt villas
alive, alive, kicking a basketball, wearing
other new dresses, of bloodred velvet.

[Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A consistent volume with huge highlights. Clouds is an incredible masterpiece, one of the very best of the half century. Stems, Three Meditations, The Grace Note, and Matins are fantastic. I also quite enjoyed Night on Hatchet Cove, Come Into Animal Presence, From the Roof. The penultimate poem, During the Eichmann Trial, is obviously very ambitious and in places strong, but I'm undecided on the whole.

[Paul Deaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

These poems are rooted in a post-war ecosystem of ideas, images, and language. As such, they are a snapshot of that period, and less relevant to the sensibilities of the third decade of the 21st Century. I don't regret reading them. Some images stand out, especially in the namesake poem. Returning to them seems unlikely.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Levertov's poems when I was younger and coming back to them now brings me great joy. She was a master.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic early Levertov: iridescent images that often shimmer with elusive meaning.

Favorite Poems:
“A Map of the Western Part of the County of Essex in England”
“In Memory of Boris Pasternak”
“Clouds”
“The Thread”
“The Presence”
“A Solitude” (wow!)

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extraordinary moments of insight and coalescence interspersed with duds.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Levertov's poetry has a lot of heavy-handed imagery, which I couldn't engage with. It's not at all a bad collection of poetry - but it's not one that I personally enjoyed.