Summary

This chapter serves as an introduction and segue to Part Two, which examines the life and work of Walt Whitman and Ezra Pound in light of the theory of the gift outlined in Part One. Hyde begins by recapitulating some of the many themes and ideas that he applies to his reading of the poets. The labor of the artist is equal part creation and invocation. There is an aspect to every artwork that cannot be created and must be received as a gift. Hyde calls these moments of “unwilled reception” (187). As earlier chapters in the book demonstrated, a gift, if it is to remain a gift, must stay in motion. Thus, the artist receives a gift, applies his talents and the tools of his craft to it, and then offers it to an audience.

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