American Originality: Essays on Poetry

Celebrated poet Glück's second book of essays is a study of contemporary American poetry. It explores the lingering and sometimes overwhelming influence of such figures as Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, as well as offering a generous introduction to several poets who are probably unknown to most readers. These introductions offer an open window on the current state of poetry and allow us the opportunity to peer inside, with the help of an intelligent and engaging guide. Glück's originality isn't so much in how she sees but in what she sees, and her openness permits her to observe things readers might gloss over. In particular, the essay "American Narcissism" is a masterpiece of critical insight, finding its most powerful focus in the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke in a moment of pure brilliance. Without denigrating Rilke's many gifts, Glück connects the voyeuristic trend in American poetry (a tendency to prize "fastidious aesthetics" and "the exposure of the secret") to his influence.