THE NEW FORMALISM
Introduction
If the New Formalism was a reaction to the perceived failings of free verse — a slovenly technique, indifference to tradition, a self-centred 'anything goes' attitude — the promotion of an iambic cure brought its own problems. The narrowness of its aims, and the drum-beating of its followers, made New Formalism a somewhat blunting and wrong-footing movement, though there are still many excellent poets following its prescriptions.
History
What Arthur Miller wrote on the appearance of The Formalist
magazine in 1990 was the simple truth: "I am sure I will not be the
only one grateful for The Formalist. Frankly, it was a shock to
realize, as I looked through through the first issue, that I had nearly
given up the idea of taking pleasure from poetry."{1}
Formalism arguably began much earlier, with Richard Wilbur, {2} whose first collection, The Beautiful Changes, was published in 1947. And formalism in one sense had never been dead, {3} since crafted verse was the staple of good poetry from De la Mare {4} Graves {5}, Muir {6}, Auden {7} Spender, {8} Amis {9}, Larkin {10} Thomas {11}, Betjeman {12}, and Hill {13} in England, and from Frost {14} Wylie, {15} Teasdale, {16} Robinson, {17} Ransome, {18} Meredith, {19} Carruth, {20} Booth, {21} Hall, {22} Davidson, {23} Moss, {24} Ferry, {25} Cunningham, {26} Nemerov, {27} Lowell {28} and Hollander {29} in America. And countless others.
But the New Formalism was rather different, notably in its proselytizing role, its marked antagonism to free verse, and its stress on metrical correctness.
Poem Tree (online anthology of
metered poetry)
Hypertexts (reviews and good
anthology of NF poets)
Contemporary Rhyme
(good selection in quarterly issues)
Barefoot Muse (two issues a
year with some 20 poets)
AbleMuse (a review of metrical
poetry, now back in expanded form)
References and Resources
1. Quoted in The Formalist subscription form. (Evansville,
Indiana. 1993)
2. Richard Wilbur (b. 1921). http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/202.
3. Kevin Walzer, "Poetical Correctness: James Wright's Formal
Practices," The Midwest Quarterly 39, no. 4 (1998). Q
4. De la Mare Society. http://www.walterdelamare.co.uk/.
5. The Robert Graves Trust. http://www.robertgraves.org/.
6. Edwin Muir’s. Poem Hunter. http://www.poemhunter.com/
7. W.H. Auden (1907-73) http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/120.
8. Steven Spender (1909-95). http://www.poemhunter.com/stephen-spender/
9. Kingsley Amis (1922-95). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsley_Amis.
10. Poetry of Philip Larkin. Poem Hunter. http://www.poemhunter.com/
11. Dylan Thomas (1914-53). http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/150.
12. Sir John Betjeman (1906-84). http://www.johnbetjeman.com/
13. Geoffrey Hill (b. 1932). http://www.complete-review.com/authors/hillg.htm
14. Robert Frost (1874-1963). Poem Hunter. http://www.poemhunter.com/
15. Elinor Wylie (1885-1928). http://www.poemtree.com/Wylie.htm
16. Sarah Teasdale (1884-1933). http://www.poemtree.com/Teasdale.htm
17. AE Robinson (1869-1935). http://www.poemtree.com/Robinson.htm
18. John Crowe Ranson (1888-1974). http://www.poemtree.com/Ransom.htm
19. William Meredith (b. 1919). Poem Hunter. http://www.poemhunter.com/
20. Hayden Carruth (b. 1921). Poem Hunter. http://www.poemhunter.com/
21. Philip Booth (b. 1926). http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/175.
22. Donald Hall (b. 1928). http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/264.
23. Writing Well is the Best Revenge, Dana Gioia.
http://www.danagioia.net/essays/edavison.htm Review of Peter Davidson's
The Fading Smile: Poets in Boston, from Robert Frost to Robert
Lowell to Sylvia Plath, 1955-1960 (Knopf. 1996).
24. Howard Moss (b. 1922-87). http://www.nhptv.org/kn/itv/mcd/moss.htm
25. David Ferry (b. 1924). http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/332.
26. J. V. Cunningham (1911-85). http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/256.
27. Howard Nemerov (1920-91). http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/572439.html
28. Robert Lowell (1917-77). http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/lowell/lowell.htm
29. John Hollander (b. 1929). http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/64.
30. Richard Wilbur: A Critical Survey of His Career. Dana Gioia.
http://www.danagioia.net/essays/ewilbur.htm.
31. Richard Wilbur: Biography and General Commentary. http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/s_z/wilbur/bio.htm
32. The way of all flesh. William Logan.
http://www.newcriterion.com/archive/18/jun00/logan.htm NNA. Review in
The New Criterion Vol. 18, No. 10, June 2000.
33. Poetry 1956: A Step Away From Them. Marjorie Perloff. http://wings.buffalo.edu/epc/authors/perloff/1956.html.
Detailed review of Wilbur's 1956 book The Things of This World.
34. David Perkins, A History of Modern Poetry: Modernism and After
(Belknap Press. 1987), 383.
35. Auden's poetry and his last years. Margaret Rees. Nov.
1999. http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/nov1999/aud-n20.shtml.
Review of Later Auden by Edward Mendelson that touches on
Tennyson's attempt to be spokesman of his age.
36. Alexander Pope 1688-1744. Poem Hunter. http://www.poemhunter.com/
37. Christopher Ricks, The Force of Poetry (O.U.P. 1987),
163-178.
38. George L. Watson, A. E. Housman: A Divided Life (Beacon
Press, 1958). Q
39. From The Killing Machine. Moore
Moran. http://www.thehypertexts.com/
40. From Drums From the Growing Ground. Anton N. (Tony) Marco. http://www.thehypertexts.com/
41. From Deputy Finds Dean's Tombstone on Highway. Jim
Barnes. http://www.thehypertexts.com/
42. From A Poem: My Agent Says. R. S. Gwynn. http://www.thehypertexts.com/
43. From You Almost Remember. Esther Cameron. http://www.thehypertexts.com/
44. Consult the essays and biographies on Hypertexts: http://www.thehypertexts.com/
45. Particularly Able Muse: http://www.ablemuse.com
46. Steele Timothy, Missing Measures: Modern Poetry and the Revolt
Against Meter (Univ. of Arkansas Press, 1990). The book more
attacks free verse than makes a case for traditional forms.
47. Vernon Shetley, After the Death of Poetry: Poet and Audience in
Contemporary America (Durham: Duke University Press, 1993), 156
48. From Business and Poetry. Wade Newman. http://www.thehypertexts.com/
49. From Rubaiyat for Sue Ella Tucker. Miller Williams. In
Philip Dacey and David Jauss (Eds.) Strong Measures: Contemporary
American Poetry in Traditional Forms (Longman. 1986).
50. A Late Aubade. Richard Wilbur. In Dacey and Jauss 1986, op.
cit.
51. From The Barrens. Alan
Sullivan. http://www.poemtree.com/poems/Barrens.htm
52. From Resurrection. William F. Carlson. http://www.thehypertexts.com/
53. From Wet Watercolor. Oliver Murray. In The New Formalist, Vol. 3,
No.2. http://www.newformalist.com/index6.html#lombardy NNA.
54. Nearly two hundred poets feature in Dacey and Jauss 1986,
op. cit, but not all are New Formalists, however or indeed traditional
poets. Note also the poets appearing in The Formalist and on
the ezines listed above.
55. Frederick Turner (b. 1943). http://www.poemtree.com/Turner.htm
56. Gerry Cambridge (b. 1959). http://www.poemtree.com/Cambridge.htm
57. Bill Coyle (b. 1968). http://www.poemtree.com/Coyle.htm
58. Dick Davis (b. 1945). http://www.poemtree.com/Davis.htm
59. Rhina P. Espaillat (b. 1932). http://www.poemtree.com/Espaillat.htm
60. Robert Francis (1901-87). http://www.poemtree.com/Francis.htm
61. Judson Jerome (1927-91). http://www.poemtree.com/Jerome.htm
62. A.M. Juster (b. 1956). http://www.poemtree.com/Juster.htm
63. X. J. Kennedy (b. 1929). http://www.poemtree.com/Kennedy.htm
64. Paul Lake (b. 1951). http://www.poemtree.com/Lake.htm
65. Gail White (b. 1945). http://www.poemtree.com/White.htm
66. Jennifer Resser (b. 1968) http://www.thehypertexts.com
67. A. E. Stallings. (b. 1968). http://www.poemtree.com/Stallings.htm
68. David Yezzi. The Fortunes of Formalism. April 2005.
http://www.newcriterion.com/archive/23/apr05/yezzi.htm NNA. A New
Criterion article: not a history but short article arguing for poetic
craft.
C. John Holcombe | About the Author | © 2007 2012 2013 2015. Material can be freely used for non-commercial purposes if properly referenced.