When perusing this volume, you will be struck by how skillfully the author manages to strike a balance between letters and his own interpretation. You are taken on a journey of Roethke's poetic process; the text explores the why and how of Roethke's work in a subtle yet understanding way. This is a good read for those who wish to learn more about the private mind behind Roethke's published writing, and those who wish to gain a better appreciation of how one literary mind shapes and guides another.

i first saw this book in the hands of a boy who admired the brevity and stark reality of these words. these lingering tangents are for readers who sometimes admire just the leaves rather than the whole tree.

"Eight American Poets," edited by Joel Conarroe, is a fine anthology. The introduction notes that this book was "designed as a companion volume to 'Six American Poets,'" also edited by Conarroe. "Eight" follows the same plan as "Six": rather than anthologize a huge company of poets who are represented by only a few pieces each, each of Conarroe's books focuses on a relatively small group of poets, each of whom is represented by a substantial selection. Conarroe's approach allows the reader to get a fuller feel of each poet in the anthology format.

The poets of "Eight" are Theodore Roethke, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Lowell, John Berryman, Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, Allen Ginsburg, and James Merrill. Each poet's work is prefaced by a substantial individual introduction.

There are many masterpieces in this book. Curiously, I found the most compelling poems to be those that focus on nature: Roethke's "The Meadow Mouse," Bishop's "The Fish," Plath's "Mushrooms," and Merrill's "The Octopus." Poems like these combine skillfully used language with keen insight, and reveal these poets to be true heirs of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson (two of the featured artists in "Six American Poets").

Overall, I felt that "Eight" was not as strong as its sister volume, "Six." Although there are many poetic masterpieces in "Eight," there is also much material which, in my opinion, hasn't aged well. The so-called "confessional poetry" of some of these writers strikes me as overwrought. Some of the longer poems failed to resonate with me. I was particularly disappointed by Berryman's "Homage to Mistress Bradstreet," especially since I am an admirer of Anne Bradtreet's own work. Admittedly, this criticism may merely reflect my own personal tastes, but I submit it for the reader's consideration.

The fact that so many of these poets either wrote about each other, or pop up in the editor's introductions to each others' work, sometimes gives the book as a whole a creepy, incestuous feel. And the fact that so many of these poets committed suicide, had long-term mental health problems, and/or suffered from addictions further gives the book as a whole a rather morbid feel. On second thought, maybe this group of eight is a bit problematic!

Still, editor Conarroe has assembled an impressive anthology that I would recommend for students and teachers, as well as to a general readership. Although a mixed bag, "Eight American Poets" contains some truly enduring work by an octet whose legacy is secure.

.........the best known and loved poetry of eight well-known twentieth century American poets. Includes well known poems such as Bishop's "The Fish", Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz", Berryman's "Dream Songs", Merrill's "Lost in Translation", Sexton's "Ringing the Bells", and many others.

Like Conarroe's "Six American Poets", the anthology introduces us to each poet with a short biography that is presented before the poet's work. We learn about their lives and come to understand some of the primary forces that have shaped their poetry. I have found that this greatly enriches the experience of reading poetry because I better see the struggles that lead to each individual creation. After each collection, Conarroe offers a list of books and anthologies where each poet has been published so that we, should we wish, can come to know the work of a given poet much better.

This anthology is a wonderful starting place for someone who, like me, desires an introduction to some of the greatest American poetry ever produced. Personally, I feel, after reading this anthology that I have come to truly appreciate the work of Elizabeth Bishop and Theodore Roethke, in particular. I had never known their work well, but suddenly each jumped off the page at me, Bishop for her wonderfully vivid descriptions and Roethke for his intensely moving subjects. Plath and Sexton also really spoke to me, their work so reflecting their lives. Overall, this anthology is superbly worthwhile reading!

Ah, a fine comparison and contrast in studies on the eight best American confessional poets ever. Kudos to the editor on a fine choice of poems, and candid biographies on each poet. Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Allen Ginsberg, John Berryman, Theodore Roethke, Elizabeth Bishop and the other guy, here's to you.

........how else can one describe the beautifully placed words of Theodore Roethke's poetry? I knew I was a Roethke fan from the day I first read "The Waking" and "My Papa's Waltz", and I'm now ever pleased that I picked up this complete collection of his poetry. Roethke's marvelous descriptions of what he is able to see and perceive has made him one of my favorite poets, rivaling my admiration for poets like Walt Whitman. His metaphors are stunning and original ("Orchids" will just carry you away) and his metered poems are technically perfect ("The Waking" is just music!). If you enjoy poetry, I urge you to introduce yourself or gain additional exposure to the brilliant, beautiful poetry of Theodore Roethke!

Roethke has been my favourite poet for 10 years. His simple, easy, beautiful style and witness to the natural things of this world, will appeal to people who enjoy the metaphysical things of life. Where leaves, trees, the sky, flowers, plants and every other facet of the natural world is highlighted in loving ways. This book is an extremely comprehensive collection of Ted's poetry.

Theodore Roethke wrote poems of the body, of the earth, and of passion .... his great poems are here. One of my favorites is the extemely famous, "My Papa's Waltz," which is a masterful arrangement using rhyme and quatrains to great effect.

This is outstanding poetry, and I recommend this book to everybody.

I bought this book because I admire Roethke's poetry. Unfortunately the best and most interesting part of the book is the excellent foreword written by Carolyn Kizer. She manages to bring him alive - as a teacher, not just as a poet - gives a sense of the enormous excitement that the members of "that extraordinary class of '55" (including Kizer, James Wright, and Jack Gilbert) must have felt. You finish reading the introduction feeling a huge sense of anticipation ... and that's about it.

Roethke on himself is uninteresting. Ego, a couple of aphorisms, some examples (which are worth paying attention to - pity you're struggling to stay awake at this point) and a lot of the sort of waffle that he, by his own repeated insistence, would have completely rejected in poetry. Oh, and a fair bit of cattiness - see the chapter "A Tirade Turning" (what were people thinking when they included this? And why?)

The worst thing about this book is its unevenness. If it was all poorly/boringly/self-indulgently written, then you would be able to dismiss it as the work of someone who "wasn't any good at writing about writing". But then he comes out with sections like "Some notes on rhythm"; one of the most lucid explanations of rhythm effects that I have yet come across.

All in all? An disappointing book, if only because of the brief flashes of how much better it could have been. Too much self-indulgence, too much spite, too much self-congratulation. So much potential unrealised!

This book is a revelation, but not the sort you might wish for. Roethke's poetry has always struck me as vaguely unsavory. It's not overwritten, grey, clumsy, sententious or sentimental; it is merely unremarkable and I am left only with an impression of the author's sense of superiority, and his distance from the reader, and more surprisingly, from his own work. What this book reveals is one possible reason for my distaste: Roethke is a pompous git.
The discriminating review reader recognizes this is all rot, impressionistic nonsense, jealousy etc. but what can we conclude from a man responsible for such measured yet meaningful proclamations as: "It's not that many Americans can't think: they just don't want to."; "Therefore I shall get on with the daily business of revelation." and "That's the horrible thing about being a genius. Everything's so obvious."
I have not committed the unpardonable sin of removing small pieces of text from a context in order to support a slapdash critique. Roethke's done that for me. There are three or four whole chapters composed in just this manner. Disconnected comments selected only for one or another Roethkian turn of phrase, but otherwise amputated from a subject; carefully composed insults that refer to no one in particular, but which he was apparently eager to save for just the right moment; moanings and groanings about the state of the world, the trials of the genius...blah, blah.
The telling fact is that these were selected from his personal notebooks-apparently by himself. He appears to have devoted considerable time and effort to preparing disparaging one-liners, grandiose statements of purpose and pale jokes for the classroom. I consider it reasonable to expect that a 'great' poet would have more in the way of great poetry to offer than any number of carefully rehearsed bon mots; and if this is the sort of thing he considers worthy of display ("Mother of God, I just invented a few sayings out of me head. Is that wicked?") I fear for what the remainder of his notebooks might contain. The best lesson an aspiring poet might learn from this book is not to listen too closely to one's teachers. Go and read Mary Oliver's very excellent book instead.