SOURCE: "A Publicist in Poetry," The New York Times Book Review, October 11, 1953, p. 22.

In the following review, Rexroth faults the poetry in The First Morning for not concentrating on a consistent poetic goal.

Peter Viereck is well aware of the separation of the poet from society. He proposes to do something about it. Many people think he is the wave of the future in American poetry. He says:

DANTE: We were God's poets.

BURNS: We were the people's poets.

MALLARME: We were poets' poets.

TODAY (preening himself): Ah, but we are critics' poets.

Certainly true, but diagnosis is not enough. It does not matter that Mr. Viereck has allowed his career as a publicist and polemicist to leak over into his poetry. That is all for the best. Although he has many of Byron's virtues he suffers from most of Byron's faults, and some others in addition. Some...