I've been a Geoffrey Hill fan/reader for years and his work continues to baffle as often as it delights. I guess many of us need "difficult" poets in our lives.
I love difficult poets! It’s fun and I’d love to actually lead a Catherine Project group on Hill at some point. I would definitely change the pacing of the reading plan though.
I think the question of how Hill's reputation will fare over the next few decades is a really fascinating one. I wrote about his sequence 'Pindarics' quite recently and in the comments to that post there were some really interesting observations about his work in general: https://vamoul.substack.com/p/beautys-conundrum-rapt-and-reft-attired
I just realized, yes, I indeed saw it the first time. We actually didn’t get to Pindarics because there is *so much* in Broken Hierarchies. We are on our second to last book in the curriculum: Without Title. We actually met about it last night. Our last book for the course is A Treatise on Civil Power (2007). We’ve been meeting since July, starting with For the Unfallen (1959). There is so much to say on Hill, but now that I am taking this course at UST on metaphysical poetry (the class is taught by Ryan Wilson and is called “Poetry of Meditation”) I can see almost a straight poetic genealogy from Donne to Hill. All the hallmarks of “metaphysical poetry” as described by Helen Gardner are inscribed in Hill’s work.
On a separate note, I love your Substack, Victoria.
A thousand thank-yous, Zina, for your kind words about my poetry collections—and for sending folks to my fangirl review of George David Clark’s new collection.
John Donne and George Herbert -- two of my favorites. Donne's poetry and meditations. And I add Hopkins, Whitman and Hayden when I discuss poetry here: https://marytabor.substack.com/p/meter-in-poetry-part-three-of-lesson See how I did or add to the post in comments, Zina. Would love that. xx ~ Mary
I've been a Geoffrey Hill fan/reader for years and his work continues to baffle as often as it delights. I guess many of us need "difficult" poets in our lives.
I love difficult poets! It’s fun and I’d love to actually lead a Catherine Project group on Hill at some point. I would definitely change the pacing of the reading plan though.
Wow. I read some heavy stuff but that is a weighty list of books. Best of luck to you! I do enjoy your and Jenn's stack pictures.
I think the question of how Hill's reputation will fare over the next few decades is a really fascinating one. I wrote about his sequence 'Pindarics' quite recently and in the comments to that post there were some really interesting observations about his work in general: https://vamoul.substack.com/p/beautys-conundrum-rapt-and-reft-attired
I just realized, yes, I indeed saw it the first time. We actually didn’t get to Pindarics because there is *so much* in Broken Hierarchies. We are on our second to last book in the curriculum: Without Title. We actually met about it last night. Our last book for the course is A Treatise on Civil Power (2007). We’ve been meeting since July, starting with For the Unfallen (1959). There is so much to say on Hill, but now that I am taking this course at UST on metaphysical poetry (the class is taught by Ryan Wilson and is called “Poetry of Meditation”) I can see almost a straight poetic genealogy from Donne to Hill. All the hallmarks of “metaphysical poetry” as described by Helen Gardner are inscribed in Hill’s work.
On a separate note, I love your Substack, Victoria.
Thanks Zina! I'll probably be writing about Herbert this week actually.
I am sending your post to my classmates! So helpful!
Thank you Zina!
Thank you! I love discussions of Hill. I will check it out.
A thousand thank-yous, Zina, for your kind words about my poetry collections—and for sending folks to my fangirl review of George David Clark’s new collection.
I’ve been working on a what I’m reading post but I think maybe I’ll combine it with your Shelfie idea and put together a book stack.
Sounds wonderful to me! ❤️📖📚
John Donne and George Herbert -- two of my favorites. Donne's poetry and meditations. And I add Hopkins, Whitman and Hayden when I discuss poetry here: https://marytabor.substack.com/p/meter-in-poetry-part-three-of-lesson See how I did or add to the post in comments, Zina. Would love that. xx ~ Mary
Oh, you should see my syllabus for class! We are definitely doing Hopkins and many others. Love your post! ❤️
It is wonderful, John! I love my class. I’ve loved all my graduate classes thus far. I’ve learned so much, and I think I am doing well in them too.