American Poet Laureate, Mark Strand, Trinity University, Thesis by Alexandra Seifert

The Institution of the American Poet Laureate:
Mark Strand and the Laureateship's Indication of
Poetic Voice





                                                               ALEXANDRA SEIFERT THESIS                                    


An original and interesting thesis about the position of American Poet Laureate and the controversy sorrounding the laureateship, the acceptance by Mark Strand of the laureateship in 1990, his poetry, his poems.

"In 1990, Mark Strand accepted the office of American Poet Laureate for one year. He had been writing poetry for decades and was already established in the poetic community; Strand published his first book of poetry, Sleeping with One Eye Open, in 1964, and in 1968 his collection Reasons for Moving gained him public acclaim, boosting his career. Yet after publishing a compilation of his poetry entitled Selected Poems in 1980, Strand quit publishing poetry for ten years, stating dissatisfaction with his recent works. In 1990, Strand reemerged into the poetic community by publishing The Continuous Life.by accepting the Laureateship. The poetry in this collection speaks to a wider audience through an expansion in both narrative voice and thematic suggestions. During his decade-long sabbatical, Strand’s poetry evolved into a form and style in which both the Library of Congress and the average American reader appreciated with renewed interest. Moreover, while his poetic voice may have gained popularity, he did so without sacrificing poetic ingenuity."

At the Greengrocer / Foto G. Pancirolli