Comments on: Forgotten Poet of the Day: Denise Levertov

By: Charlie13

Charlie13 — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 20:54:00 +0000

The idea that a poet as wonderful as Levertov, whom I have held as one of my exemplars since I first read her poem ‘The Goddess’ — which opens ‘She in whose lipservice/ I passed my time/ whose name I knew/ but not her face/ came upon me where I lay in Lie Castle! // Flung me across the room, and… ‘ –They were, and are, direct words, imitative of nothing and no one, and they still conduct me into the immediacy of her vision.

By: joe weil

joe weil — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Compared to her rep in the 70′s she is not taught at universities all that often, is looked down on for her conversion experience, and she does not have the cache with graduate students that more post-modern poets enjoy– such as George Open, John Berryman, and, recently, Jack Spicer. Same goes for William Stafford ,as well as a couple of other writers like David Ignatow who I wrote about on my face book post. Robert Kelly is a poet I think is far too unread, and Kathleen Frazier. This was lifted from a face book status where I was trying to get my students to know poets other than the trendy flavors of the moment. She has twelve books still in print because many older readers like me continue to read her. She deserves to be taught more often. I’m glad you like “In praise of Krishna.” I also admire it. I admire her essays on Williams, too. To me, she gave the best explanation of the variable foot (even if I didn’t buy it). Personal favorites of mine among neglected poets are Paul Blackburn and Barbara Holland. The fact that you looked up how many books she has in print is good. I’m glad if I was wrong in this respect. Better I be wrong than that she be neglected.I still think she is neglected, especially in comparison to Plath, Rich, and so on. Mina Loy is another.

By: Jon Corelis

Jon Corelis — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 15:16:00 +0000

I don’t know about “forgotten.” A quick search of the internet indicates that at least two dozen of her poetry books are still in print, which is fairly astonishing for a poet today. I was never deeply into her poetry myself with one exception, “In Praise of Krishna” (with George Dimock,) which I think is a great lyric classic.

By: Patty Youngblood via Facebook

Patty Youngblood via Facebook — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 14:32:18 +0000

you don’t have to share her (or any) religious beliefs to be in awe of her Julian poems or the crystalline later life poems. apart from all that is just the elegance and beauty of her work. I’ve been reading and re-reading it for 50+ years now and it never gets stale.

By: Karl Watson via Facebook

Karl Watson via Facebook — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 16:38:31 +0000

Her “Some Notes on Organic Form” is an amazing essay. If there is anyone here who hasn’t read it, I can’t recommend it strongly enough.

By: Jorge RM via Facebook

Jorge RM via Facebook — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 15:50:30 +0000

A great teacher/guide/activist.