Confessional Poetry in the Cold War: The Poetics of Doublespeak

The book explores how confessional poets in the 1950s and 1960s US responded to the Cold War political climate by using the threat of nuclear disaster and communist infiltration as affective tools for the management of public life. They adopted a politically benign confessional style to express dissent without naming names, critiquing the impact of an affective Cold War politics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 186 pages
Publication date: 03 February 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

In the 1950s and 1960s, a time marked by the Cold War's political climate, confessional poets in the United States found themselves responding to the threat of nuclear disaster and communist infiltration as powerful tools for managing public life. Despite the state-sanctioned repression of civil liberties, these poets embraced a politically benign confessional style, seeking to express their dissent in a time of surveillance. While some critics have accused confessional writers of focusing solely on private turmoil in a period of public crisis, examining their work in the context of the political and affective environment of the Cold War US reveals their unique ability to express dissent without being detected.

Writing about the fear and anxiety of life in the shadow of the bomb was a form of poetic doublespeak for these poets, critiquing the impact of an affective Cold War politics without directly naming any individuals or institutions. Through their poetry, they challenged the dominant narratives of the time and offered a alternative perspective on the complexities of the Cold War era.

Confessional poets of the 1950s and 1960s US emerged as a powerful voice in a time of political and social unrest. Their willingness to confront the fear and anxiety of their time through their poetry demonstrated their commitment to social justice and their ability to use art as a means of protest. Their work continues to inspire and influence contemporary poets and writers, reminding us of the power of words to challenge the status quo and create change.

Weight: 390g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030931148
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022