Collected Poems, 1951-1971: On Metaphor and Mortality - Paperback

Collected Poems, 1951-1971: On Metaphor and Mortality by A. R. Ammons

This comprehensive collection represents two decades of groundbreaking work by A. R. Ammons, one of America's most distinguished visionary poets. Spanning from 1951 to 1971, this volume captures the evolution of Ammons's unique poetic voice as he explores the intersections of metaphor, mortality, and the natural world.

Award-Winning American Poetry

A. R. Ammons (1926-2001) earned recognition as a two-time National Book Award winner and recipient of the National Book Critics Circle Award. His work garnered numerous prestigious honors including the Academy of American Poets' Wallace Stevens Award, the Bollingen Prize, the Poetry Society of America's Robert Frost Medal, the Ruth Lilly Prize, and fellowships from both the Guggenheim and MacArthur Foundations.

Critical Acclaim

Harold Bloom declared this volume "the most distinguished book of American verse, in my judgment, since the publication of Wallace Stevens's Collected Poems in 1955," marking "the permanent establishment of a major visionary poet." David Kalstone noted that this collection transcends typical poetry gatherings, describing it as "like one an explorer brings back."

About This Edition

Published by W. W. Norton & Company in paperback format, this collection serves as an essential text for understanding mid-20th century American poetry. The poems within explore philosophical themes through Ammons's distinctive approach to language, form, and observation. His work bridges the gap between modernist traditions and contemporary poetic innovation.

For Readers and Collectors

This volume appeals to poetry enthusiasts, students of American literature, and collectors of significant 20th century works. The collection provides insight into Ammons's development as a poet during a crucial period in American literary history, offering readers access to the full range of his poetic exploration during these formative decades.

"It will seem increasingly to many attentive readers that this volume--the most distinguished book of American verse, in my judgment, since the publication of Wallace Stevens's Collected Poems in 1955--marks the permanent establishment of a major visionary poet."--Harold Bloom

"No mere gathering of poems, this collection is like one an explorer brings back."--David Kalstone