Charles Olson, figura cardine della seconda generazione del modernismo americano, ha rappresentato un ponte tra i primi modernisti e i New American Poets, influenzando i successivi movimenti postmoderni. Si descriveva non tanto come poeta o scrittore, ma come "un archeologo del mattino", segnalando un profondo interesse per le origini e la creazione. Olson invocava una metrica poetica basata sul respiro e sul ritmo naturale, liberandosi dai vincoli della sintassi e della logica. Le sue opere complesse esplorano spesso temi sociali, storici e politici, mentre i suoi versi più brevi rivelano una voce sincera, accessibile ed emotivamente risonante.
Charles Olson's influence on the development of British and American poetry through his writing and teaching is immense. His work encompasses myth, history, scholarship and politics. This book includes extracts from a range of Olson's poetry and prose, including letters, interviews and the full text of the key essay 'Projective Verse'.
The exploration of Shakespeare's influence on Melville's Moby-Dick is a central theme, as the author presents the groundbreaking "theory of the two Moby-Dicks." This theory posits that Melville's reading of King Lear significantly shaped his narrative, suggesting that the first version lacked key elements like Ahab. The book's experimental style and organization sparked debate among contemporary critics, marking it as a pivotal work in American literary criticism. This reprint preserves the original's integrity, offering insights into Melville's creative process.
"...a balanced and superbly rendered picture of one of America's greatest poets."---Peter Anastas --
This landmark collection of Charles Olson's work, edited by Robert Creeley, features poems from "The Distances" and "Maximus Poems," alongside the "Mayan Letters," "Appolonius of Tyana," and his influential manifesto on "Projective Verse." Olson is celebrated as a key figure bridging modern poetic movements.
Výber z poézie Charlesa Olsona vo výbere Roberta Creeleyho, ktorý zbierku opatril aj úvodným slovom. Preložil Miroslav Holub.
Charles Olson (1910-1970) war der zentrale Vertreter der 'Black Mountain Poets', zu der auch bekannte Künstler wie John Cage und Rauschenberg gehörten. In seinen Erzählungen würdigt er seinen Vater auf liebevolle Weise.