James Merrill and W.H. Auden
Subtitle: Homosexuality and Poetic Influence (American Literature Readings in the Twenty-First Century)
Edition: 1 edition
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: October 2, 2007
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 216
ISBN-13: 9781403984319
Subjects: Gender studies; Literature of special Gay interest; Poetry & poets: from c 1900 -; Merrill, James - Poems & Criticism; Special Subjects In Literature; Literary Criticism; Literature - Classics / Criticism; English; USA; American - General; Literary Criticism / Poetry; Gay & Lesbian; Poetry; 20th century; Changing light at Sandover; History; Homosexuality and literature; Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.); Merrill, James Ingram; United States
Description: "James Merrill and W.H. Auden offers a substantial analysis of the literary and personal relationship between two major twentieth-century poets. As Gwiazda argues, Auden's prominence in the post-World War II American poetry scene as a homosexual poet and critic makes his impact on Merrill particularly noteworthy. Merrill's imaginary recreation of Auden in his occult verse trilogy The Changing Light at Sandover (1982) offers a powerful statement about the dynamics of poetic influence between gay male poets. Combining archival research, textual analysis, and aspects of queer theory, James Merrill and W.H. Auden examines Sandover's implications to the contentious issues of homosexual identity and self-representation."--Jacket.