Description
Book SynopsisW H Auden's emigration from England to the United States in 1939 marked more than a turning point in his own life and work - it changed the course of American poetry itself. This book deals with Auden's influence on American poetry. It offers an account of Auden's dramatic impact on the younger American poets, from Allen Ginsberg to Sylvia Plath.
Trade ReviewWinner of the 2012 SAMLA Studies Award, South Atlantic Modern Language Association One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2011 "Auden's productivity and out-flung array of styles complicate Mr. Wasley's chosen task of tracking influences--and render it all the more gratifying when he unfolds some unexpected linkage. He is surely right when pointing out that no other poet of our time has assembled so disparate a circle of admirers. Auden's followers range from James Merrill to Allen Ginsberg, Anthony Hecht to Adrienne Rich, Robert Hayden to Maxine Kumin, Joseph Brodsky to John Ashbery... Though Auden's influence is powerful and broad, The Age of Auden helpfully delineates its borders. The battle of literary reputations takes place in a dusty arena, and W. H. Auden will surely be one of those titanic figures that loom through whatever dim clouds arise. He will remain unignorable."--Brad Leithauser, Wall Street Journal "This substantial study focuses on his life and work after his emigration to America just before World War II, and his profound influence on younger US poets... As a work of old-style literary criticism based on close textual analysis, this is a book for students, and for lovers of Auden and post-war American poetry."--The Age "A poetry anthology is elevated to greatness when, in offering the work of artists at their best moments, it reveals clear affinities between the works. Wasley's effort is that scholarly rarity: a critical examination that functions as a great anthology."--Choice "The reality of Auden's influence is undeniable, and Wasley's retracing is both nuanced and revealing."--James Gifford, Years Work in English Studies
Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations ix Preface xiii Prologue: Auden in "Atlantis" 1 Part I Chapter 1: A Way of Happening: < Auden's American Presence 33 Part II Chapter 2: Father of Forms: Merrill, Auden, and a Fable of Influence 77 Chapter 3: The Gay Apprentice: Ashbery, Auden, and a Portrait of the Artist as a Young Critic 109 Chapter 4: The Old Sources: Rich, Auden, and Making Something Happen 145 Epilogue: He Became His Admirers: Saying Goodbye to Auden 175 Notes 209 Index 243
