Larry Levis lives through his poetry Award winning contemporary poet Larry Levis lived a short life (50 years), but his writing contributions will sustain his legacy forever. Levis grew up in poverty as the son of a grape grower in Fresno, California. His writing often reflects his days of picking grapes and working with Mexican migrant workers in the San Joaquin Valley. His poems are filled with the imagery of his youthful experiences on farm, at the pool hall and later as a custodian in a steel mill full of violent and not so nice people. He developed his vibrant, surrealist style to perfection and won several awards for his work. He takes memories of his life and gives them life by expressing their effects on him, the people around
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Levis tended to move away from the themes expressed in his first book, Wrecking Crew, which was full of anger and desperation. He admits that he was still developing his style at that time and the short, imagists poems in his first book did not reflect his technique and poetic writing that ultimately represented his work. He became more symbolic and reflective in his future work and The Dollmaker's Ghost is considered his best work. In this volume, the vision of the poet is clear as he continues to develop his theme that all humans are the same at heart and we need to learn to accept each other regardless of race, social status and religious beliefs. Winter Stars is a memorable and soulful poem about the death of the poet's father. It avoids sentimentalizing and instead creates beautiful images of the memories of his father. The poem begins with the typical storytelling style that characterizes the poetry of Larry Levis. The following verse begins with a memory that remains vivid in the poet's …show more content…
This poem has such a different tone than the ode to his father. In that, we saw a sorrowful man who regrets lost time with his father. In “To a Wren on Calvary”, he angrily laments the cruel violence of the people he grew up with and how they had no regret or shame for what they did. “With arms outstretched, & eyes pecked out by birds, reclined, Fastened forever to scaffolds which gradually would cover An Empire’s hills & line its roads as far As anyone escaping in a cart could see, his swerving mind.”
Here, the image of death that would never end is so sad and the reader feels pity for the poet who had to witness the violence that stayed with him for the rest of his life. The last poem to be discussed is completely different from the two previous poems. “Signs” is a reflective refrain that has the poet looking back on his life. It still has the depressing qualities that characterize his other works, but this poem offers more insight into how the poet coped with all the troubles in his life. The form of this poem is a contrast to the others as it has numbered verses. It is a very interesting poem because it seems to be about dying young, which is ironic because Larry Levis died when he was just forty-nine years old. The first few lines of the poem are very symbolic
Levis tended to move away from the themes expressed in his first book, Wrecking Crew, which was full of anger and desperation. He admits that he was still developing his style at that time and the short, imagists poems in his first book did not reflect his technique and poetic writing that ultimately represented his work. He became more symbolic and reflective in his future work and The Dollmaker's Ghost is considered his best work. In this volume, the vision of the poet is clear as he continues to develop his theme that all humans are the same at heart and we need to learn to accept each other regardless of race, social status and religious beliefs. Winter Stars is a memorable and soulful poem about the death of the poet's father. It avoids sentimentalizing and instead creates beautiful images of the memories of his father. The poem begins with the typical storytelling style that characterizes the poetry of Larry Levis. The following verse begins with a memory that remains vivid in the poet's …show more content…
This poem has such a different tone than the ode to his father. In that, we saw a sorrowful man who regrets lost time with his father. In “To a Wren on Calvary”, he angrily laments the cruel violence of the people he grew up with and how they had no regret or shame for what they did. “With arms outstretched, & eyes pecked out by birds, reclined, Fastened forever to scaffolds which gradually would cover An Empire’s hills & line its roads as far As anyone escaping in a cart could see, his swerving mind.”
Here, the image of death that would never end is so sad and the reader feels pity for the poet who had to witness the violence that stayed with him for the rest of his life. The last poem to be discussed is completely different from the two previous poems. “Signs” is a reflective refrain that has the poet looking back on his life. It still has the depressing qualities that characterize his other works, but this poem offers more insight into how the poet coped with all the troubles in his life. The form of this poem is a contrast to the others as it has numbered verses. It is a very interesting poem because it seems to be about dying young, which is ironic because Larry Levis died when he was just forty-nine years old. The first few lines of the poem are very symbolic