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Article: A Poem of Pure Enjoyment
- Article from:
- Anuario Filosófico
- Article date:
- January 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Hudson Review Winter 2005. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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A Poem of Pure Enjoyment
Two MAJOR AMERICAN POEMS WERE PUBLISHED IN 1855. One we still read today, the other we only refer to. One marks the beginning not only of modern American poetry, but American poetry distinct from English poetry. The other marks a final colonialist stab at domesticating the North American continent. One has entered the cant and canon of literary criticism. The other has dropped out of all consideration. One is like a Bible, constantly offering us codified perspectives on American identity. The other is a dated Victorian confection that tells us what nineteenth-century Americans of European descent thought of Native Americans. One is written in a style so unique that ...