On Poetry and Craft [Paperback]

Theodore Roethke (Author), Carolyn Kizer (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Writing Re: Writing | Publication Date: April 1, 2001

"One of the virtues of good poetry is the fact that it irritates the mediocre."

Theodore Roethke was one of the most famous and outspoken poets and poetry teachers this country has ever known. In this volume of selected prose, Roethke articulates his commitments to imaginative possibilities, offers tender advice to young writers, and zings darts at stuffed shirts, lightweights and fools.

"Art is our defense against hysteria and death."

With the assistance of Roethke's widow, this volume has been edited to include the finest selections from out of print collections of prose and journal entries. Focused on the making and teaching of poetry,On Poetry and Craft will be prized in the classroom-and outrageous Roethke quotes will once again pepper our conversations.

"You must believe a poem is a holy thing, a good poem, that is."

Theodore Roethke was of an illustrious generation of poets which included Sexton, Plath, Lowell, Berryman, and like them he received nearly every major award in poetry, including the Pulitzer Prize and twice the National Book Award. In spite of his fame, he remained a legendary teacher, known for the care and attention he gave to his students, poets such as James Wright, Carolyn Kizer, Tess Gallagher, and Richard Hugo. Roethke died on August 1, 1963, while swimming in a friend's pool.

"But before I'm reduced to an absolute pulp by my own ambivalence, I must say goodbye. The old lion perisheth. Nymphs, I wish you the swoops of many fish. May your search for the abiding be forever furious."

On Poetry and Craft

I am overwhelmed by the beautiful disorder of poetry, the eternal virginity of words.

The poem, even a short time after being written, seems no miracle; unwritten, it seems something beyond the capacity of the gods.

We can't escape what we are, and I'm afraid many of my notions about verse (I haven't too many) have been conditioned by the fact that for nearly 25 years I've been trying to teach the young something about the nature of verse by writing it--and that with very little formal knowledge of the subject or previous instruction. So it's going to be lik

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This fresh look at the thoughts of Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning poet Roethke was created from two previous volumes of the writer's prose notebooks: On the Poet and His Craft (1965) and Straw for the Fire: From the Notebooks of Theodore Roethke, 1943-62 (1972). The introduction by Carolyn Kizer, who studied with the distinguished poet-teacher at the University of Washington, sets the tone of the work, which shows Roethke's thought processes as he set words to paper to create his masterpieces. This volume focuses on Roethke as a demanding yet introspective teacher who struggled with his personal life and taught his students the value of verbs and cadence. In his notebooks, Roethke dissected his own pieces and the works of other writers he valued, such as W.B. Yeats, Stanley Kunitz, Dylan Thomas, and James Joyce. A perfect work for students and aspiring writers; recommended for literature and creative writing collections. Joyce Sparrow, Juvenile Welfare Board Lib., Pinellas Park, FL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Theodore Roethke was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1908. As a child, he spent much time in the greenhouse owned by his father and uncle. His impressions of the natural world contained there would later profoundly influence the subjects and imagery of his verse. Roethke attended the University of Michigan and took a few classes at Harvard, but was unhappy in school. His first book, Open House (1941), took ten years to write and was critically acclaimed upon its publication. He went on to publish sparingly, but his reputation grew with each new collection, including The Waking, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1954. He taught at various colleges and universities, including Lafayette, Pennsylvania State, and Bennington, and worked last at the University of Washington, where he was mentor to a generation of poets that included David Wagoner, Carolyn Kizer, Tess Gallagher, and Richard Hugo. Roethke died in 1963.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Copper Canyon Press; 1 edition (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155659156X
• ISBN-13: 978-1556591563
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #734,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Creativity is Hard to Teach, November 12, 2005

By 

A. Remington "nameyou'vechosenalreadytaken" (Land of The Shining Corn) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On Poetry and Craft (Paperback)

I found the poet's thoughts quite helpful and not as self-indulgent as other reviewers. I think Roethke also considered himself to be an artist at teaching as well as at writing. His was not a case of "those cannot do, teach". He established a style of relating and conveying materials to students with many years of success. Most importantly, no teacher can instruct how to be a good or great writer. Every instructor in the arts faces this dilemma.
I found Roethke's thoughts to have much merit. They aren't obtrusive or intrusive just a catch as catch can if they have meaning for the reader.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars So much potential, December 18, 2002

By 

talesin - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Poetry and Craft (Paperback)

I bought this book because I admire Roethke's poetry. Unfortunately the best and most interesting part of the book is the excellent foreword written by Carolyn Kizer. She manages to bring him alive - as a teacher, not just as a poet - gives a sense of the enormous excitement that the members of "that extraordinary class of '55" (including Kizer, James Wright, and Jack Gilbert) must have felt. You finish reading the introduction feeling a huge sense of anticipation ... and that's about it.

Roethke on himself is uninteresting. Ego, a couple of aphorisms, some examples (which are worth paying attention to - pity you're struggling to stay awake at this point) and a lot of the sort of waffle that he, by his own repeated insistence, would have completely rejected in poetry. Oh, and a fair bit of cattiness - see the chapter "A Tirade Turning" (what were people thinking when they included this? And why?)

The worst thing about this book is its unevenness. If it was all poorly/boringly/self-indulgently written, then you would be able to dismiss it as the work of someone who "wasn't any good at writing about writing". But then he comes out with sections like "Some notes on rhythm"; one of the most lucid explanations of rhythm effects that I have yet come across.

All in all? An disappointing book, if only because of the brief flashes of how much better it could have been. Too much self-indulgence, too much spite, too much self-congratulation. So much potential unrealised!