September 1961 (1961). Detailed description

“September 1961” appears in O Taste and See (1964), Levertov’s fifth collection of poetry written and published in America. Upon moving to the United States, Levertov quickly became acquainted—through reading and in person—with American poets of her own and previous generations. By the time she published this poem she was already an established poet among her contemporaries and considered fully mature in her style. Unlike some young writers working to distinguish themselves in a competitive literary market, however, Levertov never shied away from discussing the poets who had a marked influence on her work. “September 1961” names three important American authors to dramatize her relationship with an earlier generation of poets and hint at the anxiety caused by their influence.

Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, and H. D. (Hilda Doolittle) are among America’s most widely read modernist poets, all of whom suffered in their later years from the debilitating effects of age and mental deterioration. Interestingly, both Pound and H. D. spent the majority of their adult lives in Europe as expatriates, much as Levertov was a European expatriate living in the United States. Williams, though, became the most important to Levertov’s life and work. She spoke in several interviews of visiting him at his home in New Jersey during the later years of his life, after he had suffered several strokes and when he did not have complete control over his voice. He was alive when she wrote the poem, although he died in March 1963, before she published O Taste and See. H. D.’s death, the first of the three, inspired the title “September 1961.”

While some critics consider the poem to be no more than a timely tribute to three of her favorite poets, Levertov uses a complex (ifwell-trodden) symbol to express her anxiety over a generational shift in the landscape of American authorship. She starts by saying that 1961 “is the year the old ones, / the old great ones / leave us alone on the road” (Selected Poems 34). The road, which “leads to the sea,” acts as a symbol that, unlike a metaphor, cannot be reduced to a one-to-one correlation between itself and the thing it symbolizes. By using symbolism, Levertov leaves the meaning open to speculation, allowing the reader to make any number of connections. A cliche comes to mind: “the road of life.” However, by mentioning “the words in our pockets,” “the language into our hands,” Levertov expands the symbol to incorporate one of her primary poetic concerns, the process of writing poetry (34-35).

As she said frequently, these “old great ones” gave her a language with which to think, write, and express. Williams in particular helped Levertov define her voice as a poet by exhibiting the clarity and richness of idiomatic speech. Her anxiety can be felt as a preoccupation with having to write after such enabling influences have fallen silent. She also worries, though, about succeeding them and becoming an old great one herself. Knowing that the new generation of poets cannot simply repeat their predecessors, she writes, “One can’t reach / the sea on this endless / road to the sea unless / one turns aside at the end” (35). New paths must be forged through the “deep woods.” And yet, arriving at the sea also becomes laden with the weight of double meaning. While it implies that one has achieved a certain status, it also means facing a fate of silence, as do the three poets ahead of her. The poem ends with an ellipsis, omitting finality and acknowledging the still unfurling road ahead.

For Discussion or Writing
1. “September 1961” employs the first-person plural we in speaking of a generation of poets. Whose voice does the poem represent? Why would Lever- tov choose to speak for a plurality rather than for herself only?

2. A tension exists in “September 1961” between nature and modern civilization. “Urban light- haze” confuses and trucks dazzle while an owl “silently glides.” Explore the tension in a discussion about its relation to the rest of the poem’s meanings. Look at work by any of the three poets mentioned. How do they treat nature and modern civilization in their work? Do you think Levertov shares attitudes with any of them? Be specific in citing examples.

3. As did Levertov, Donald Barthelme frequently discussed the writers who had influenced his work. He often referred to his predecessors as “dead fathers” and considered it necessary to read a substantial number of them before being able to write anything worthwhile. Read his novel The Dead Father and compare his anxiety over influence and generationality to Levertov’s. Do not limit your investigation to “September 1961.” Consider any of her writing that may be pertinent, including her letters to William Carlos Williams, essays, and even interviews.