The Poet's Poet : essays on the character and mission of the poet as interpreted in English verse of the last one hundred and fifty years

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Poet's Poet, by Elizabeth AtkinsThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it,give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online atwww.gutenberg.netTitle: The Poet's PoetAuthor: Elizabeth AtkinsPosting Date: December 26, 2009 [EBook #7928] Release Date: April, 2005 First Posted: June 1, 2003Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE POET'S POET ***Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Phil McLaury, Charles Franks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamTHE POET'S POETEssays on the Character and Mission of the Poet As Interpreted inEnglish Verse of the Last One Hundred and Fifty YearsByELIZABETH ATKINS, PH.D.Instructor in English, University of MinnesotaTOHARTLEY AND NELLY ALEXANDERPREFACEUtterances of poets regarding their character and mission have perhaps received less attention than they deserve. Thetacit assumption of the majority of critics seems to be that the poet, like the criminal, is the last man who should passjudgment upon his own case. Yet it is by no means certain that this view is correct. Introspective analysis on the part ofthe poet might reasonably be expected to be as productive of æsthetic revelation as the more objective criticism of themere observer of literary phenomena. Moreover, aside from its intrinsic merits, the poet's self-exposition must ...