John Neihardt Summary

John G. Neihardt is most widely known for his book about a Sioux holy man, Black Elk Speaks (1932), but he considered himself a poet and designated as his masterwork the five-part epic, A Cycle of the... Read more

Throughout his seventy-five-year career as a writer, John G. Neihardt's aspiration was to be the epic poet of the American West; he is remembered chiefly, however, for his work as an editor. His ambit... Read more

Critical Essay by Harriet Monroe [The Song of Three Friends] has not hitherto been reviewed in Poetry, because it seemed unnecessary to repeat criticisms fully suggested, in February, 1916, in a notic... Read more

Critical Essay by Jerry Gallagher [All Is but a Beginning] is a masterpiece of autobiography. The only regrettable aspect of the book is that it is simply the first installment covering Neihardt... Read more

Critical Essay by Lucile F. Aly [Neihardt's] youthful lyrics show his attentiveness to poetic forms; testing meters and rhyme schemes, he experimented with free verse and chant forms of the Oma... Read more

Critical Essay by Berenice Van Slyke I have certain quarrels on minor points [in The Song of the Indian Wars]: the use of 'twas, 'twere, alas, aye, etc., for which this poet has been sor... Read more

Critical Essay by William Rose BenÉt ["The Song of Hugh Glass," "The Song of Three Friends," and "The Song of the Indian Wars"] are Mr. Neihardt'... Read more

Critical Essay by W. E. Black The nature of our concept of reality determines the nature of our actions because every ethical act is performed within a metaphysical framework. In his writings, John G.... Read more