Josephine Jacobsen Summary

When Josephine Jacobsen was appointed to the first of two consecutive terms as Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress (now Poet Laureate) in 1971, she was acknowledged, at sixty-three, as a poet... Read more

In the following excerpt, Martin provides a favorable evaluation of The Shade-Seller, praising Jacobsen's natural and affirmative style. In any century or era, there are ideas and images which ... Read more

In the following interview, originally conducted on October 12, 1979, Jacobsen and Tavernier-Courbin, with the assistance of R. G. Collins, discuss literary influences and tastes, differences and simi... Read more

In the following essay, Jacobsen outlines her personal views on the art of writing poetry and delineates the challenges and rewards of well-crafted verse. Poetry is the most honored and least read for... Read more

In the following interview, originally conducted in 1986 and published in Belles Lettres, Parry inquires about Jacobsen's literary influences, beginnings as an author, and methods of writing. P... Read more

In the following review, Rungren declares Jacobsen's The Sisters to be a work of “careful craft.” Jacobsen's strengths have remained constant through 40 years of work in a ... Read more

In the following review, Shaw commends Jacobsen's poetry for “the consistency with which she unites firmness of technique with intelligence and feeling.” How many poets do we have... Read more

In the following essay, Spires summarizes Jacobsen's poetic career, characterizing In the Crevice of Time as honest and direct. Art is long and life is short. Or is it the other way around? On ... Read more

In the following excerpt, Reeve illustrates the ways in which Jacobsen's poetry has adapted to different social climates throughout her career. Sixty years is a long life in poetry. Not many ma... Read more