Donald Justice's "New and Selected Poems"

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes a selection of poems by Donald Justice. Most of the poems that the writer analyzes are in the villanelle format and the writer suggests that it is the required repetition of this format that brings out the emotion of the poem. The writer also notes that Justice's poems pay attention to the detail of craft and work with restrained expertise. The writer further discusses a few poems in detail, and points out that even though we find Donald Justice's poems objective and admirable, they are lacking in self as if he is standing on the outside of them.

From the Paper:

"Upon reading Donald Justice's book New and Selected Poems, I am reminded of Eudora Welty's quote, "Virtuosity, unless it moves the heart, goes at the head of the whole parade to dust." Justice's poems work with restrained expertise. The poems pay attention to the detail of craft, but the detachment of feeling in the verse leaves out the passion of poetry."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bishop, Elizabeth. "One Art." Poets.Org. 1997-2006. The Academy of American Poets. 28 January 2008. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15212>.
• Cope, Wendy. "Lonely Hearts." PublicRadio.Org. 2008. American Public Media. 28 January 2008. <http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/programs/2001/ 12/03/index.html>.
• Justice, Donald. New and Selected Poems. New York: Knopf, 1997.
• Rothke, Theodore. "The Waking." The Collect Poems of Theodore Roethke. Garden City: Doubleday, 1972. 21-22.
• Thomas, Dylan. "Do Not Go Gently into the Night." PoetryHunter.com. 28 January 2008. <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night>.

More papers on Donald Justice's "New and Selected Poems":

• Poem Review # 120205 : "Poetry Without Passion"
• Analytical Essay # 133433 : "U.S. Justice System and the Treatment of Minorities"
• Analytical Essay # 90749 : "Selected Poems of Theodore Roethke"

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