Delmore Schwartz

Taking as its starting point Delmore Schwartz's self-appointment as both a 'poet of the Hudson River' and 'laureate of the Atlantic,' this book comprehensively reassesses the poetic achievement of a critically neglected writer. Runchman reads Schwartz's poetry - from In Dreams Begin Responsibilities to the posthumously-published Last Lost Poems - in relation to its national and international perspectives, recognizing tensions between the two but arguing that these more often animate his writing than hold it back.

Addressing Schwartz's Jewish-American heritage, his attempts to negotiate the influence of T. S. Eliot, his use of allusion, his writing about the city, his responses to World War II, and his later poetry's euphonic symbolism, Delmore Schwartz: A Critical Reassessment reestablishes Schwartz's importance to his peers and successors.

Review: 'As evidenced by Alex Runchman's skillfully and thoroughly researched book, an argument on the behalf of the lesser-known American poet, Delmore Schwartz, can be made, should be made, and has now been made here. Organized, pithy, and direct, Alex Runchman's clear and well-executed study deserves transatlantic attention.' -Stephen Burt, Professor of English, Harvard University, USA