James Merrill's Poetic Quest

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Relatively little critical attention has been directed towards the explication of James Merrill's difficult poems, much less towards the understanding of his densely-layered symbolism. This is the first comprehensive study to look at Merrill's difficult symbolic system and to provide a close reading of Merrill's epic poem The Changing Light at Sandover. Adams reads Merrill's poetry through various lenses, primarily those of Freudian psychology and of the Jungian archetypal system. His approach allows the reader to view individual works as part of the larger picture of Merrill's quest to save his life through his art.

Reviews

"James Merrill as the heir of Plato and Oscar Wilde emerges from Don Adams' close and sensitive reading of the epic and mock-heroic strains in Merrill's poetry. Adams shows Merrill, like W. B. Yeats, confronting the dramatic choice between perfecting his life or his work. Without simplifying the poet's complexity, James Merrill's Poetic Quest reveals a single, deeply serious theme within the dazzling variety of Merrill's poetry."-Timothy Materer Professor of English, University of Missouri--Columbia

Author Bio

DON ADAMS is Assistant Professor of English at Florida Atlantic University.