Kenneth Rexroth was an American poet, translator, and critical essayist, recognized as a chief figure in the San Francisco Renaissance. He was among the first American poets to delve into traditional Japanese poetic themes and forms. His work is marked by a deep engagement with Eastern philosophy and aesthetics, offering readers a unique cross-cultural perspective. Rexroth's literary contributions bridge distinct traditions, creating a rich and insightful body of work.
Discover the best of modern British poetry with The New British Poets, a stunning anthology that showcases the exceptional talent of emerging writers from across the UK. From haunting lyrical ballads to provocative political commentary, these poems explore the many facets of modern life with depth, sensitivity, and wit. With an introduction by renowned poet and critic Kenneth Rexroth, The New British Poets is a must-read for anyone who loves contemporary poetry.
Kenneth Rexroth's profound connection to the Sierra Nevada is explored through a collection of his poetry and prose, showcasing his environmental ethics and literary prowess alongside greats like Emerson and Thoreau. This volume features nature poems, excerpts from his memoir, newspaper columns, and correspondence, reflecting Californians' deep appreciation for the High Sierra. Compiled by acclaimed author Kim Stanley Robinson, it includes an introduction, notes, photographs, a travel map, and an astronomical analysis of Rexroth's work by Carter Scholz, making it a treasure for mountain and poetry enthusiasts.
Rexroth's Selected Poems brings together in a single volume a representative
sampling of sixty years work. The late Kenneth Rexroth ( 1905-1982) is surely
one of the most readable of this century's great American poets. He is also
one of the most sophisticated.
The lyrical world of Chinese poetry in faithful translations by Kenneth Rexroth. The lyric poetry of Tu Fu ranks with the greatest in all world literature. Across the centuries―Tu Fu lived in the T'ang Dynasty (731-770)―his poems come through to us with an immediacy that is breathtaking in Kenneth Rexroth's English versions. They are as simple as they are profound, as delicate as they are beautiful.Thirty-five poems by Tu Fu make up the first part of this volume. The translator then moves on to the Sung Dynasty (10th-12th centuries) to give us a number of poets of that period, much of whose work was not previously available in English. Mei Yao Ch'en, Su Tung P'o, Lu Yu, Chu Hsi, Hsu Chao, and the poetesses Li Ch'iang Chao and Chu Shu Chen. There is a general introduction, biographical and explanatory notes on the poets and poems, and a bibliography of other translations of Chinese poetry.
This volume brings together all of Kenneth Rexroth’s shorter poems from 1920 to the present, including a group of new poems written since the publication of Natural Numbers, drawn from seven earlier books. This volume brings together all of Kenneth Rexroth’s shorter poems from 1920 to the present, including a group of new poems written since the publication of Natural Numbers, drawn from seven earlier books. Among the American poets of the generation that came to prominence in the Forties, Kenneth Rexroth has been notable both for the independence of his personal voice and for his accessibility to the tradition of international avant-garde literature. He began writing and publishing in magazines at fifteen. His earliest work was personal and concrete, much like that of the Imagists. In his twenties he wrote in the disassociative style––sometimes called "literary cubism "––developed by Mallarmé, Apollinaire, and Reverdy. This was not free association, but the conscious disassociation and recombination of the elements of the poem to achieve the highest possible level of significance. With his later books Rexroth moved back to a direct and classically simple form of personal statement. In this period he wrote the great nature poems, the love poems, and the contemplative lyrics that have established his reputation as one of the most important American poets.
