Ebook American Poetry after Modernism The Power of the Word Albert Gelpi Books

Product details Paperback 326 pages Publisher Cambridge University Press; Reprint edition (February 21, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 1108706223

American Poetry after Modernism The Power of the Word Albert Gelpi Books Reviews

• This definitive work will not attract the casual reader (who could nonetheless benefit from it). It is a tour de force of poetry criticism by a Stanford professor emeritus who has written several other excellent volumes about poetry. Since reviews vary from a single word up to 2 or 3 pages, I want to provide this unconventional (verse) review of the whole corpus of Professor Gelpi's fine writing.
  
  SESTINA FOR A SCHOLAR
  For A. J. Gelpi
  
  The Gelpi name is on a lot of books.
  The Gelpi fame is based on his diverse,
  Delightful, detailed studies of the great
  And gifted modern U.S. poets that
  Professor Gelpi intimately knew,
  Sometimes in person—always, by their works.
  
  The Gelpi literary game sure works—
  Witness full NFL schedule of books.
  The subjects of his writing, if they knew
  Gelpi had written them, would send diverse
  Approvals to the writer who'd done that,
  The great scholar of poets who are great.
  
  Not everyone agrees on who is great;
  But when you've finished one of Gelpi's works,
  You'll have a much, much better grip on that.
  You'll want to read another of his books.
  You'll wish to read much more of the diverse
  Poetry of poets this scholar knew.
  
  Now that you’ve learned this, don't you wish you knew
  Better those whom he explicates as great?
  They're such not just because of their diverse,
  Prolific and skillfully-crafted works.
  Al carefully elucidates their books,
  Demonstrating how they are truly that.
  
  You might feel totally confident that
  No scholar could reveal more than you knew
  Already from reading so many books.
  That you have read them, yes, is truly great;
  But, nonetheless, read Gelpi's trenchant works.
  Understanding’s best with sources diverse.
  This verse is insufficiently diverse.
  But a sestina form is just like that—
  Among my least-admired poetic works;
  Though I might like them more if I just knew
  Some writers of sestinas who are great.
  Oh yes! I should review Al Gelpi’s books.
  
  ENVOI
  
  Gelpi, your writers’ works are most diverse,
  Your books of scholarship, as well, like that.
  I never knew a scholar quite so great.