Silence in the Snowy Fields: Poems (Wesleyan Poetry Series) [Paperback]

Robert Bly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1962 | Series: Wesleyan Poetry Series

The poems of Robert Bly are rooted deep in the earth. Snow and sunshine, barns and cornfields and cars on the empty nighttime roads, abandoned Minnesota lakes and the mood of America now--these are his materials. He sees and talks clearly: he uses no rhetoric nor mannered striving for effect, but instead the simple statement that in nine lines can embody a mood, reveal a profound truth, illuminate in an important way the inward and hidden life. This is a poet of the modern world, thoroughly aware of the complexities of the moment but equally mindful of the great stream of life--all life--of which mankind is only a part.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mr. Bly's poems name delicate, humble things, and at the same time describe man assuming his existence, beginning over again the test of illusions. At the end of each poem there is silence, without complaint." --Wallace Fowlie, New York Times Book Review

"Bly writes of silence, sleep, moonlight and snow in Minnesota . . . It is lively and beautiful. For what interests Bly in silence is the articulate quality of it, its creative noise"--John Logan, The Critic

"This is poetry which springs out of an uncommon vision of nature...The poems are frequently epiphanies of man-in-nature without any fuss." --Thomas McGrath, National Guardian

"Bly has pared his images (most of them stemming from a life close to natural phenomena) down to the bone and used them with charm and ingenuousness."--Beloit Poetry Journal

From the Publisher

6 x 8 trim. LC 62-18340

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 60 pages
• Publisher: Wesleyan; 1st edition (April 15, 1962)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0819510157
• ISBN-13: 978-0819510150
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #590,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the top five books in modern poetry, December 7, 2000

By 

norman (Boca Raton, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silence in the Snowy Fields: Poems (Wesleyan Poetry Series) (Paperback)

This first book by Robert Bly is definitely a classic. It is certainly one of the best books in modern poetry--a landmark! Along with James Wright's The Branch Will Not Break, this book defined a generation of poets in the late 50's that decided poetry had become too dull and scholarly. These poems are alive and rich in vivid imagination. You will fall in love with each poem and read and re-read this collection over and over again.

5.0 out of 5 stars Bly captures the intricate love, hidden between the lines., December 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Silence in the Snowy Fields: Poems (Wesleyan Poetry Program) (Hardcover)

An intellectual with deep insight into human nature, and tremendous focus with the written word; this is one of Mr. Bly's most sublime collections of poetry. He has an uncanny ability to look deep into human existence and point with an awe-struck finger to the divine. His poignancy with the natural world rolls off the tounge and into deep into the mind touching a quieter place. The poems will leave you spellbound.