The Best Man's Handbook by James Grace

The Best Man's Handbook by James Grace

In poetry, the constraints of language and the tension between desire and possibility constitute the problematic in which the poem occurs. Approaching Elizabeth Bishop's work from the standpoint of this problematic, C.K. Doreski's illuminating study examines Bishop's rhetorical strategies and the way they shape the formal and thematic movements of her poetry and stories. Unlike other recent studies of Bishop, Doreski's does not concern itself primarily with her visual imagery, but rather deals with her poetry as a series of linguistic maneuverings designed to create the maximum illusion of representation while resisting the romantic devices of self-revelation and solipsistic narration. Though highly personal in nature, Bishop's works exhibit her success in averting, with formal and rhetorical dexterity, the temptations of sentiment. Doreski argues that Bishop takes advantage of the inadequacies of language, and with a postmodern sense of limitation explores the gaps and silences narrative must bridge with the mundane - the patently inadequate - creating an air of emotional intimacy without committing itself to the banality of full exposure. In essence, she asserts, the restraints of language shaped the tone, tensions, and even the topics of Bishop's poetry. This study finds the poems and stories mutually illuminating, but while moving back and forth among her various works, acknowledges the intelligent ordering of the volumes Bishop published in her lifetime. Persuasively arguing that restraint for Bishop is an essential element in the relationship she finds between language and life, this study shows how through her poems and stories she attempts to invent a language adequate to herperception.

Grace, James B.: - James B. 'Jim' Grace obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Presbyterian College, his Master's of Science degree from Clemson University, and his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He served on the faculty at the University of Arkansas and later at Louisiana State University, where he reached the rank of Professor. He has, for the past several years, worked at the US Geological Survey's National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA where he is a Senior Research Ecologist. He holds an Adjunct Professorship at the University of Louisiana in the Biology Department.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780762418152
ISBN 10	076241815X
Title	The Best Man's Handbook
Author	James Grace
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Running Press
Year published	2004-03-03
Number of pages	144
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.