Customer Reviews

Collected Poems

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Stevie Smith lived with her maiden aunt in suburban London for most of her life. She dwelled on themes of death and alienation, attempted suicide, socialized with literary intelligentsia, made records and television appearances to read her poems, then died quietly after receiving the Queen's Medal for Poetry. She also represents one of the keenest, most individual voices in modern poetry. "NOT WAVING BUT DROWNING" and "TENDER ONLY TO ONE" are classics, and this wonderful volume also features a large assortment of Stevie's humorous line drawings which accompany many of her works. Those looking for an off-center, decidedly dark view of life (with a healthy dose of dry British wit) can do no better than this anthology.

Despite all the talk about poetry being dead during the twentieth century, it was the most prolific century for poets in modern history. The English language in particular experienced a proliferation of new and original poets. Stevie Smith was, unfortunately, one of those lesser known British poets who never achieved the fame in America she had in Europe. She was not by far the greatest poet of the century; she couldn't best Pound, Eliot, Ginsberg, Berryman, Stevens, etc. However, when one reads her works, one finds a unique intellect struggling with love and death. She reminds one of a homegrown hodge-potch of Ogden Nash and Emily Dickinson. This is thoroughly rewarding reading for anybody, and I think young girls in particular would identify with her poetry. It's the uncomplicated type of verse that SHOULD be taught in schools to help students better understand and appreciate the possibilities of the form.