Customer Reviews (1)

Much appreciate artisanship
Several years ago I was looking for a collection of John Crowe Ransom's poetry. This was the only one out there, so I bought it. I figured it would be some university press paperback, maybe even one of those books that looks like it was photocopied from some earlier edition. I was surprised. This edition of Ransom's poems is beautiful--not just for poetry, but the care that went into building the book. From the binding to the font, this is a work of art.

I very much appreciate that the publisher commemorates Ransom's small but substantial contribution to the art of poetry with a book that rises to the occasion. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A major minor poet And major critic
I do not know how many people read John Crowe Ransom today. But in his time and it was a long time , he was a major figure on the American Literary scene. Not only was he the founder of 'Kenyon Review' he was also one of the moving forces behind 'The New Criticism' which reigned for many years in English Departments in the U.S. 'The New Criticism' demanded a close attention to the text, a reading which cast aside external influences to focus on the lines on the page, alone.
Ransom was both poet and critic. The poetry was largely done in his early years, and this volume contains a selection he made himself. It includes what are perhaps his two most well- known poems, 'Bells for John Whiteside's Daughter' and 'Blue Girls'. Ransom's poems have a clear order and structure , and often comment on an incident from everyday life. Here is the last stanza of 'Blue Girls'
"For I could tell you a story which is true;
I know a woman with a terrible tongue,
Blear eyes fallen from blue,
All her perfections tarnished -- yet it is not long
Since she was lovelier than any of you."
In a sense he was a tough, ironic realist a champion of the Old Testament God whose image he felt closer to the harsh realities of life.
In his essays he made good use of his considerable learning and great intelligence. In the present volume I particularly enjoyed his essay on the Latinate elements in Shakespeare . He shows that Shakespeare knew far more Latin than he is usually credited with. He also argues that it was Shakespeare's use of Latin which helped keep the language distinctively alive in English literature.
My own sense in reading his work is that it is truly honest, clear, tough- minded. I did find however that somehow it did not touch me in the way the poetry and criticism I most love, does.
... Read more

Product Description
The Fugitives were an influential literary group that began at Vanderbilt University in the 1920s. Although the philosophically driven alliance was short-lived, two of its members, John Crowe Ransom and Allen Tate, went on to become influential Southern poets and theorists.

In this work, a self-proclaimed third-generation Fugitive-Agrarian concentrates on the history and mystery of nature. The author supports the recovery of fundamental principles required for the economic, social and political health of our communities. He explores Fugitive-Agrarian concepts of nature, history, science, industry, person, family and community. His discussion focuses particular attention on John Crowe Ransom and Allen Tate and how they diverged in their philosophies of intellect and the written word. ... Read more

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