Selected Poems

By Conrad Aiken

Book Overview

"Selected Poems" by Conrad Aiken represents a definitive collection of work from one of the twentieth century's most influential American voices. This compilation, which earned the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, showcases Aiken's mastery of language, his deep psychological insight, and his unique ability to blend musicality with philosophical inquiry. Aiken's verse often explores the complexities of human consciousness, the fluidity of identity, and the intricate relationship between the self and the external world.

Throughout this volume, readers will encounter the author's celebrated symphonies-long, complex poems that demonstrate his technical virtuosity and his pioneering use of stream-of-consciousness techniques in verse. From the haunting imagery of his early lyrics to the profound metaphysical explorations of his later sequences, Aiken's poetry remains a cornerstone of Modernist literature. "Selected Poems" serves as an essential introduction to an author whose work bridged the gap between traditional forms and the avant-garde movements of his era, offering a rich tapestry of emotional depth and intellectual rigor.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025498771
• ISBN13: 9781025498775
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 382 Pages
• Weight: 1.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Selected Poems

I love this book.I bought it because my 2nd cousin read a poem at my Aunts memorial service.It's called "Discordants" and now I'm enjoying the rest of the poems

a neglected master...

Most readers know Conrad Aiken, if they know him it all, for "Silent Snow, Secret Snow," a chilling portrayal of childhood insanity. But he was also an accomplished novelist (see "Blue Voyage" with its gorgeous stream-of-consciousness and "A Heart for the Gods of Mexico," a slightly disguised portrait of Malcolm Lowry)and a major poet whose life's work dwarfs that of Eliot in terms of sheer size and rivals Pound's in its learnedness, albeit a learnedness that is not displayed so feverishly as is Pound's in The Cantos. It's not surprising to me that this volume has basically come and gone without anyone noticing it (I bought mine out of a remainder catalogue), but it's still disheartening. Because this is major poetry by a major poet who would be a great discovery for younger readers if they were encouraged to read him. Aiken often has a tone reminiscent of the early Eliot and many of the poems in this volume (especially "Senlin...")are reminiscent of Profrock with an added vein of mysticism that is his link to Emerson, Thoreau, Melville and other purveyors of the American Sublime. All of the poems are finely crafted--some in free verse, some loosely rhymed, some in tight forms--and display a beautiful feeling for rhythm, both explicit and implicit, and the long musical line. His images are striking, his range of ideas fascinating. He is never less than arresting and often inspired. My own favorites are "Landscape West of Eden," "Blues for Ruby Matrix," the aforementioned "Senlin: A Biography" and "Tetelestai," a gorgeous elegy that is the equal of the "out of the cradle, endlessly rocking...." section in Leaves of Grass. Harold Bloom,in his very good introductory essay, tells why Aiken matters. But I must disagree with him on the subject of Aiken's eloquence, which he considers to be the fatal flaw separating Aiken from greater poets like Stevens and Crane. To me this eloquence is precisely Aiken's strength. If more modern poets had been less interested in modelling consciousness than in analyzing it and extracting its elusive essences--yes, even sometimes extracting the ore of eloquence from the dross of momentary chaos--poetry might still have an audience. Aiken wrote at a time when there was still a bond between poet and audience and cultural inclusivity was attempted on a scale unimagineable today. These poems are not only excellent in themselves, they are potent reminders of how powerful and daring poetry once was and how germane to audiences outside the realms of academia.