Modernist Alchemy: Poetry and the Occult 9781501728570

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Modernist Alchemy

Also by Timothy Materer

Wyndham Lewis the Novelist Vortex: Pound, Eliot, and Lewis The Letters of Ezra Pound and Wyndham Lewis (editor) Selected Letters of Ezra Pound to John Quinn (editor)

Cornell University Press Itlulca and London

Tim.othy Materer

Modernist Alche111y Poetry and the Occult

Copyright © 1995 by Cornell University All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850. First published 1995 by Cornell University Press. Printed in the United States of America @> The paper in this book meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.

Reprinted by permission of Harcourt Brace & Company and Faber and Faber, Ltd.: Excerpts from "Choruses from 'The Rock,'" "Journey of the Magi," "A Song for Simeon," and "The Waste Land" in Collected Poems 1909-1962 by T. S. Eliot, copyright 1936 by Harcourt Brace & Company, copyright © 1964, 1963 by T. S. Eliot. Excerpt from The Cocktail Party, copyright 1950 by T. S. Eliot and renewed 1978 by Esme Valerie Eliot. Excerpts from The Family Reunion, copyright 1939 by T. S. Eliot and renewed 1967 by Esme Valerie Eliot. Excerpts from "Little Gidding," "Burnt Norton," "East Coker," and "The Dry Salvages" in Four Quartets, copyright 1943 by T. S. Eliot and renewed 1971 by Esme Valerie Eliot. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. and Faber and Faber, Ltd.: Excerpts from "Ouija" from The Collected Poems of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath and edited by Ted Hughes, copyright© 1960 by Ted Hughes; copyright renewed. Excerpts from "Mystic" from Winter Trees by Sylvia Plath, copyright © 1963 by Ted Hughes; copyright renewed. Excerpts from "Elm" and "Lady Lazarus" from Ariel by Sylvia Plath, copyright © 1963 by Ted Hughes; copyright renewed. Excerpts from "Ariel" from Ariel by Sylvia Plath, copyright© 1¢5 by Ted Hughes; copyright renewed. Excerpt from "Lyonnesse" from Winter Trees by Sylvia Plath, copyright © 1972 by Ted Hughes. Excerpts from "Dialogue over a Ouija Board," "Snakecharmer," "Crystal Gazer," "The Ravaged Face,'' and "Sonnet to Satan" from The Collected Poems of Sylvia Plath, edited by Ted Hughes, copyright © 1960, 1g65, 1971, 1981 by the Estate of Sylvia Plath; editorial material copyright © 1981 by Ted Hughes. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Materer, Timothy, 194oModernist alchemy : poetry and the occult I Timothy Materer. p. em. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN o-8014-3146-8 (alk. paper) 1. American poetry-2oth century-History and criticism. 2. Occultism in literature. 3· Alchemy in literature. 4- Modernism (Literature) I. Title. PS310.033M37 1995 8n'.50937-