Do I really think Charles Reznikoff is a major American poet?
I do not think that Reznikoff reached the American masses or even most of the Americans who read of poetry. I imagine it would be hard to find a college course devoted to his poetry. But I do think he had a wonderful and distinctive voice.
I’ve spent more time reading him than I have reading the famous poets.
Do I act like he’s a poet with rare and remarkable gifts?
Actually, I think I do. According to the archives, I’ve mentioned him nine times since December 2021. Rereading these notes, I have to admit I sound like a star-struck fan:
• “For poets and artists who have a day job,” Dec. 4, 2021.
• “Charles Reznikoff’s ‘About an excavation,’” Dec. 5, 2021.
• “When the poets are tough guys,” Dec. 6, 2021.
• “Reznikoff: ‘By the Well of Living and Seeing,’” Jan. 12, 2022.
The music critic Jim Svejda once said that the technical abilities of musicians don’t really move him. A performance doesn’t have to be note-perfect to interest him. Svejda said that what impresses him about an artist is his or her individuality. You hear a voice or an instrument and know that it couldn’t be anyone else — that no one else would do it that way.
That’s part of why I love of Reznikoff’s poetry. He’s a distinctive voice. When you look at the world through his eyes, you’re surprised.
• Source: Poems 1918-1975, The Complete Poems of Charles Reznikoff, edited by Seamus Cooney; Santa Rosa, Calif.: Black Sparrow Press, 1996.
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