Davie, Donald Alfred

Davie, Donald Alfred
▪ 1996

      British poet and critic (b. July 17, 1922, Barnsley, Yorkshire, England—d. Sept. 18, 1995, Exeter, Devon, England), was one of the most prolific and influential poet-critics of his generation and was considered a major force in the so-called Movement, champions of antiromantic British poetry in the 1950s. He espoused the view that poetic form and precise use of language were directly related to personal morality. Davie began studies at St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, in 1940 but interrupted them after a year for service in the Royal Navy in World War II, which took him to the Soviet Union. While there he taught himself Russian and developed what would become a lifelong interest in Russian literature; he later translated works of Boris Pasternak and wrote on Slavic literature. After the war Davie returned to Cambridge, earning a B.A. (1947), an M.A. (1949), and a Ph.D. (1951). He was a lecturer at Trinity College, Dublin (1950-57), and at Cambridge (1958-64) and then helped set up the University of Essex. He taught there until, disgusted by the student revolts of the late 1960s, he moved (1968) to the U.S. and took a position at Stanford University. After 10 years there he taught (1978-88) at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., before retiring and returning to England. Davie's best-known books include Purity of Diction in English Verse (1952), Articulate Energy (1955), Ezra Pound: Poet as Sculptor (1964), The Poet in the Imaginary Museum (1977), Under Briggflats (1989), and Slavic Excursions (1990). He considered himself foremost a poet, however, and produced a large number of collections, among them Brides of Reason (1955), A Winter Talent (1957), Essex Poems, 1963-67 (1969), In the Stopping Train & Other Poems (1977), and To Scorch or Freeze (1988). The Psalms in English would be published in 1996.

* * *

▪ British author
born July 17, 1922, Barnsley, Yorkshire, Eng.
died Sept. 18, 1995, Exeter, Devon

      British poet, literary critic, and teacher who was a major conservative influence on British poetry in the 1950s.

      Davie served in the Royal Navy during World War II and obtained bachelor's (1947) and doctoral (1951) degrees from the University of Cambridge. He taught at Trinity College, Dublin (1950–57), Cambridge (1958–64), the University of Essex (1964–68), and Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. (1968–78).

      Davie was a principal figure in The Movement, a group of British poets in the 1950s who expressed antiromantic ideals and purposely avoided experimentation in their verse. His earliest critical works, Purity of Diction in English Verse (1952) and Articulate Energy (1955), explored the moral dimensions of poetic style. His poetry has been characterized as Neo-Augustan, austere, and elegant. His first book of verse, Brides of Reason (1955), was followed by A Winter Talent (1957), Essex Poems (1969), Six Epistles to Eva Hesse (1970), In the Stopping Train & Other Poems (1977), and To Scorch or Freeze (1988), among other volumes. His Collected Poems 1950–70 was published in 1972. Davie's poetry was characterized by meticulous syntax and plain diction and tended to be philosophical and quietly moralistic in tone. His later critical works included Ezra Pound: Poet as Sculptor (1964), The Poet in the Imaginary Museum (1977; essays), Czesław Miłosz and the Insufficiency of Lyric (1986), and Under Briggflatts: A History of Poetry in Great Britain, 1960–1988 (1989).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Davie, Donald Alfred — (1922 1995)    Born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, the son of a Baptist shopkeeper, he was educated at the local grammar school. After five years service in the Royal Navy during World War II, he graduated in 1947 and gained a doctorate in 1951 both… …   British and Irish poets

  • Donald Davie — Donald Alfred Davie (17 July 1922 – 18 September 1995) was an English Movement poet, and literary critic. His poems in general are philosophical and abstract, but often evoke various landscapes. Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 3 References 4 Ex …   Wikipedia

  • Davie —   [ deɪvɪ],    1) Alan, schottischer Maler, * Grangemouth (Central Region) 28. 9. 1920; seine vitale Malerei und Grafik verbindet die spontane Geste des abstrakten Expressionismus mit den Symbolzeichen primitiver oder archaischer Kulturen wie Rad …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Donald Davidson (philosopher) — Donald Herbert Davidson Portrait of Donald Davidson by the photographer Steve Pyke in 1990. Full name Donald Herbert Davidson Born 6 March 1917(1917 03 06) Springfield, Massachusetts …   Wikipedia

  • English literature — Introduction       the body of written works produced in the English language by inhabitants of the British Isles (including Ireland) from the 7th century to the present day. The major literatures written in English outside the British Isles are… …   Universalium

  • List of poetry groups and movements — Poetry groups and movements or schools may be self identified by the poets that form them or defined by critics who see unifying characteristics of a body of work by more than one poet. To be a school a group of poets must share a common style or …   Wikipedia

  • The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse —   …   Wikipedia

  • Liste de zoologistes — Attention, il n est pas d usage en zoologie d utiliser d abréviation pour les noms des auteurs (contrairement aux usages de la botanique, voir ici). Cette liste ne constitue pas une liste officielle. Nous attirons l attention du lecteur sur son… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lillooet (electoral district) — The Lillooet electoral district was a riding (provincial constituency) in the Canadian province of British Columbia, centred on the town of the same name and with various boundaries. Originally with two members, the constituency was split into… …   Wikipedia

  • Penguin poetry anthologies — The Penguin poetry anthologies, published by Penguin Books, have at times played the role of a third force in British poetry, less literary than those from Faber and Faber, and less academic than those from Oxford University Press. The Penguin… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”