Reading the Modernist Long Poem: John Cage, Charles Olson and the Indeterminacy of Longform Poetics

This book explores indeterminacy in modernist long poems through analogies in musicology, mycology, cybernetics, and philosophy, highlighting the contributions of John Cage and Charles Olson to the long poem tradition. It argues that their work revolutionized the longform poetry of the 20th and 21st centuries by developing, critiquing, and innovating on the poetics of the past.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 14 January 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

This book explores the enigmatic and complex realm of modernist long poems, drawing upon the influential yet contentious poetries of John Cage and Charles Olson as its primary examples. By examining the concept of indeterminacy, which serves as the fundamental essence of the long poem, the book seeks to understand its analogues in various fields such as musicology, mycology, cybernetics, and philosophy. It delves into the distinctive features of these works, including elements like listing, typography, archives, mediation, and mereology, which are prevalent in the long poem tradition. Furthermore, it highlights how both Cage and Olson departed from the traditional longform poetic conventions of the early 1900s, revolutionizing the longform poetry of the 20th and 21st centuries through their pioneering, critical, and innovative approaches.

Brendan C. Gillott makes a compelling argument for the centrality of Cage and Olson in these traditions, emphasizing their role in developing, critiquing, and innovating on the longform poetics of the past. Their work not only reshaped the landscape of longform poetry but also left an indelible mark on the broader literary and artistic landscape, making them indispensable figures in the history of modernist literature.

Weight: 502g
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501363788