Louis Zukofsky Critical Essay | Critical Essay by Lorine Niedecker

Critical Essay by Lorine Niedecker

SOURCE: "The Poetry of Louis Zukofsky," in Quarterly Review of Literature, Vol. 8, No. 3, 1956, pp. 198-210.

An American poet, Niedecker focused on the distillation of images and thoughts into concise expression, composing verse known for its stark, vivid imagery, subtle rhythms, and spare language. Although her long correspondence with Zukofsky—who frequently published her poems in his journal Origins—and contact with such respected writers as Cid Corman and Basil Bunting brought her some critical notice, her work was generally overlooked until late in her life. In the following essay, Niedecker calls attention to the experimentalism, intellectual richness, and musical quality of Zukofsky's poetry.

To record and elate for all time … (poems) based on nothing less than the world, the entire humanly known world.

…. .

Good verse is determined by the poet's susceptibilities involving a precise awareness of differences, forms...
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