Customer Reviews

The Collected Poems of George Oppen

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Oppen was a quiet genius whose spare, precise language never obscures his love for the world he writes about. In his poems silence is a form of eloquence and detached observation a type of love. There's something hard and fair and righteous in this verse--though Oppen rarely sermonizes, he's one of the few truly moral poets I know. His life work is a bargain at this price; do yourself a favor and grab it.

Each of the poems are amazing. His masterful use of juxtapositioning words next to each other create such startling and vivid emotions. Each line is brought to its simplest form and each line is powerful. When these lines are brought together, a startling poem ensues. I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys stark poetry. The work is truly a masterpiece. Enjoy!

In his best moments even in some of his lesser ones, George Oppen was that rare breed of elliptical poet: there is not one line in the entirety of his work that falls entirely flat or appears completely senseless. This is as masterful and mind boggling a feat, in some ways, as a chess player who never makes a false move his entire career. He is always speaking directly to his readers, trying to probe the conscience of a generation torn by war, recognizing the cultural ramifications and fermenting a new vision of life. At his peak, Oppen took the seriousness of the questions left over from WWII and reminded us that life remained, and we were not above it: "Who Shall Doubt consciousness/in itself/of itself carrying/'the principle of the actual' being/actual/itself ((but maybe this is a love poem Mary) ) nevertheless/neither/the power/of the self nor the racing car nor the lilly/is sweet but this" ("Who Shall Doubt..."). His refusal to diverge from his own style and craft has led to an unjust neglect, partly perpetuated by half-talents/would-be critics like William Logan. Oppen still has a following, however, and is unlikely to fall into complete obscurity. His entire body of work is more than worth it.

Each of the poems are amazing. His masterful use of juxtapositioning words next to each other create such startling and vivid emotions. Each line is brought to its simplest form and each line is powerful. When these lines are brought together, a startling poem ensues. I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys stark poetry. The work is truly a masterpiece. Enjoy!