Word: poem
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...spoke on the involvement of scholars in government, while Fitzgerald read a poem, "Recollections," written for the occasion...
GIMMICKRY and sentimentality are not enough. A good book of poetry should be both well-written and philosophical, expressing a cohesion of experience. Flying Inland, by Kathleen Spivack, is neither. Spivack's poetry lacks a unifying voice. Each poem remains a solitary, cricket-like rasp, grating in the reader's ear. Nothing justifies printing poor writing in any case, and nothing justifies placing these poems in a collection...
However, Spivack's poetry can be startlingly vivid, and often very fine lines peer through the intimidating mass of bad ones. Almost every poem has a least one strong image or technical device which works well. Her best poem deals with an unpretentious subject: "A Child's Visit to the Biology Lab." When she describes formaldehyde jars, her use of simple detail works beautifully...
Spivack's use of formal rhyme produces childish, stilted versification. Her form does not strengthen the poem, but remains glaringly obvious, never blending into the total fabric of the work. She rhymes only to prove she can rhyme...
...strict English Catholic, is highly critical. Soon to be published is the third and concluding volume of the Enderby novels, the story of a poet who loses and then regains his creative gift, generally regarded as one of Burgess's finest literary accomplishments. There is also an epic poem based on his recent script for the Italian TV production of Moses-with Burt Lancaster in the title role. In his spare time, Burgess looks for someone to put on his musical based on James Joyce's Ulysses...