I first read Denise Levertov in an undergraduate American literature course. We spent the summer reading novels, poetry collections, and plays by great American writers, and became familiar with the recurring themes and trends that arose within American letters at various points in history. That course is where I fell in love with Denise Levertov. Levertov’s allure stems from her talent for writing about the mundane, about relationships, and about everyday life in a way that avoids theatrics while still maintaining that hypnotizing quality necessary to capture readers attention. The simplistic honestly of her work taps into something essential and raw about poetry that can often be elusive. Her work is grounded, precise, and, in a sense, archetypal. This month I will close read and analyze poems written by Levertov to peek into the mind and aesthetics of this naturalized American poet.
About Denise Levertov
Denise Levertov was a renowned 20th century poet born in Essex, England in 1923 and who died in Seattle, Washington in 1997. Levertov, having not received a formal education, was taught at home by her parents and had an affinity for writing and the arts at a young age. By the age of 12 she had invested so much effort into her writing that she assuredly sent some of her poems to T.S. Elliot who responded with encouragement in Rilke like fashion.
Levertov would go on to publish her first poetry collection at the age of 17. Later in her writing career, she would become heavily influenced by and involved with the Black Mountain Poets, and become increasingly critical of politics and war in her poetry. Around the age of 25 she met and married her husband, the American writer Mitchell Goodman, and in 1955, when she was around 33, Levertov became a naturalized American citizen. Due to her relocation to the States, and due to the persistent American themes in her works, Denise Levertov is widely recognized as an American poet.
This month I begin a close exploration of Levertov’s poems in order to develop a more intimate relationship with her ideas. I will close read and contextualize her writing to enjoy the vibrant and thoughtful energy that she exuded in her work, and see what narratives and themes can be siphoned from her discourse.
Read all post in this series here.
