Reviews William Jay Smith

far-reaching themes , variety of styles in william jay smith s poetry prove commonplace ideas , everyday activities can reinvented lyrical language enlightens , entertains reader. magical collected poems span half-century of life , life of nation, adding literary , social history of our times in verse.

best poems in smith s first book unlike else in postwar american literature. quality of tone , vision french, not french of particular author. instead smith, native of international paris of imagination, writing french poems in english, poems close symbolists unattainable ideal of poésie pure. in short poem note on vanity dresser , words take on initiative , create meanings , echoes of meaning seem independent of poet. poem shows language in process of discovering itself.