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Kipling, Auden and Co.: Essays and Reviews 1935-1964

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This collection has reviews and criticism on a wide variety of poets and writers. Jarrell was one of the most celebrated critics of his day, and a poet of considerable reputation. The reviews are mostly occasional pieces, and touch upon the work of many writers both known and no longer known. Jarrell is a champion of Frost who he considers the best of the modern poets but he also writes insightfully about Wallace Stevens whose linguistic brilliance is unsurpassed. He surveys the life- work of Cummings and sees him as pandering to the idea of what the public wants the Poet to be. Jarrell has a quite long essay on the early development of Yeats which is background to his trying to show that it is the late Yeats who is the truly great poet. Jarrell celebrates the young Berryman and is generous wherever he sees sparks of real writing talent. The essays are filled with interesting observations but to my mind do not reach the highest level of criticism. There is no theoretical structure and no reading of the works, or the greatest part of them in depth.

jarrell shows everything that is wrong with criticism today. the intelligence, wit, good writing, and fearlessness that is found in his criticism is missed in the critics of today. jarrell writes on everything, poetry, prose, art, music, and even cars. and he does it well.

i've only seen one other critic with this skill, and i believe he has a collection of his essays/reviews coming out soon: R.S. Gwynn