Description

Book Synopsis
When Hart Crane's epic poem The Bridge was published in 1930, it was generally judged a failure. Critics said the poet had unwisely attempted to create a mystical synthesis of modern America out of inadequate materials. Crane himself, who committed suicide in 1932, did little to correct this impression; and although the poet's reputation has fluctuated over the past fifty years, many people still find The Bridge unsatisfactory. In this analysis of Crane's long poem, Paul Giles demonstrates that the author was consciously constructing his Bridge out of a huge number of puns and paradoxes, most of which have never been noticed by Crane's readers. Dr Giles shows how Crane was directly influenced by the early work of James Joyce; how the composition of The Bridge ran parallel to the first serialisation of Finnegans Wake in Paris; and how The Bridge is the first great work of the 'Revolution of the Word' movement, predating the final published version of Finnegans Wake by nine years.

Table of Contents
Introduction; 1. Bridge as pun; 2. Relativity; 3. Capitalism; 4. Capitalism and the underworld; 5. Burlesque; 6. Bridge as myth; 7. Abstraction and the city; 8. Music; 9. The new machine and the new word; 10. James Joyce; 11. La Révolution Surréaliste; 12. Surrealism and madness; 13. Pscyhoanalysis and homosexuality; 14. Paradox and oxymoron; 15. Alchemy and the Romantic quest; 16. Conclusion; Appendices; Notes; Works cited; Indexes.

Hart Crane The Contexts of The Bridge 14 Cambridge Studies in American Literature and Culture Series Number 14

    Product form

    £31.34

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £32.99 – you save £1.65 (5%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Mon 17 Aug 2026.

    A Paperback by Paul Giles

    15 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Hart Crane The Contexts of The Bridge 14 Cambridge Studies in American Literature and Culture Series Number 14 by Paul Giles

      Publisher: Cambridge University Press
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 4/2/2009 12:00:00 AM
      ISBN13: 9780521107006, 978-0521107006
      ISBN10: 0521107008
      Also in:
      Literary studies: c 1900 to c 2000

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      When Hart Crane's epic poem The Bridge was published in 1930, it was generally judged a failure. Critics said the poet had unwisely attempted to create a mystical synthesis of modern America out of inadequate materials. Crane himself, who committed suicide in 1932, did little to correct this impression; and although the poet's reputation has fluctuated over the past fifty years, many people still find The Bridge unsatisfactory. In this analysis of Crane's long poem, Paul Giles demonstrates that the author was consciously constructing his Bridge out of a huge number of puns and paradoxes, most of which have never been noticed by Crane's readers. Dr Giles shows how Crane was directly influenced by the early work of James Joyce; how the composition of The Bridge ran parallel to the first serialisation of Finnegans Wake in Paris; and how The Bridge is the first great work of the 'Revolution of the Word' movement, predating the final published version of Finnegans Wake by nine years.

      Table of Contents
      Introduction; 1. Bridge as pun; 2. Relativity; 3. Capitalism; 4. Capitalism and the underworld; 5. Burlesque; 6. Bridge as myth; 7. Abstraction and the city; 8. Music; 9. The new machine and the new word; 10. James Joyce; 11. La Révolution Surréaliste; 12. Surrealism and madness; 13. Pscyhoanalysis and homosexuality; 14. Paradox and oxymoron; 15. Alchemy and the Romantic quest; 16. Conclusion; Appendices; Notes; Works cited; Indexes.

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account