August Derleth Critical Essay | Critical Essay by Russell Macfall

Critical Essay by Russell Macfall

"All things of live adventuring are kin" is the theme of ["Country Poems"], 30 poems about the birds and animals, cornfields and country church yards of his Wisconsin demesne. He is so much a part of it that he can "look about and see what beauty lies in simple things" and voice what he has seen and felt in lyrics that have the grace to be as simple and direct as the west wind and the chipmunk that he understands alike.

"Sirius: Midnight," with its clear sense of man's "kinship to eternity," is the most original and powerful poem of the book. "Scent of Camomile" is steeped in country living, and both "Mushrooms," with its bold figure of speech, and "The Moon on the Water" are good examples of Derleth's skill in drawing a deep meaning from the small incident.

Russell MacFall, "Skillful Odes to Country Life in Wisconsin,"...
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