Monica Argenzio
March 8, 2009
English 11 – 1

Denise Levertov

Denise Levertov was born in England in 1923. She was home-schooled and became interested in writing as early as age five. She began to strive for success with her writings by sending her work to be reviewed by professionals at the age of twelve. By the time she was seventeen, she published her first poem and did nothing but publishing and writing afterwards.
When she started as a writer, she wrote in English dialect. When she married and moved to the united states where she continued to write, she became interested in the way that American dialect was written and accustomed herself and her writing to that. The very first book that she wrote in American dialect was Here and Now. By reading poems from this book and comparing them to the ones before, you can notice the transition that she made with her new American Lifestyle.
It is interesting to see that this author wished to change her English way of writing to American style because so many other kept their own English writing dialect. The year that Denise moved to America with her husband was 1948. Times were changing and so was she. Her way of writing was more modern now in the American way.
The poem “In Mind” (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/in-mind/) by Denise Levertov incorporates a lot of figurative language. For instance, she uses descriptive adjectives comparing the smell and features of the woman in the poem to apples and grass. The meter of this poem is not traditional. She doesn’t use end rhyme or a specific rhyme scheme. She tells a story about a girl who is troubled. She uses few words, but they are all symbols and very descriptive. For example in the sixth stanza, she says; “And there's a turbulent moon-ridden girl.” That is Denise using a great adjective to describe that the girl in the poem who remains anonymous is troubled and confused about life. Based on the first stanza, I can guess that Denise is creating this woman in her poem to be her troubles within herself. She says in the first stanza “There's in my mind a woman of innocence, unadorned but.” She is saying that in her mind there is a woman that is so kind and innocent but as the poem progresses she explains the problems. I believe that she is talking about her own self.
Denise Lovertov wrote a lot of other works that express her American Style as well as her talent to so briefly get a point about herself or others across. The poem she wrote entitled “Celebration” (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/celebration/ ) This poem was about the simplicity of celebration. Denise compares all the glorious things and feelings that associate with a celebration or party of any kind of important event to beautiful things of nature.
There are things about the works of this poet that makes her distinctly American. Denise Lervertov began her writing career in her homeland of England. When she moved to America she learned and accustomed herself to their way of writing based on her experiences and observations of America. Most of her poems that I read are about the simple American things. She describes them is such a way that the simplicity of it all is enriched with beautiful adjatives and comparisons and symbolism. She is not big on rhyme, but she writes more in a free verse type way. They are the kind of poems that should be read by readers so that they can appricate the little things in life and see them for what they are and have their own take on them as well. Also, her poems show that you should be able to self evaluate yourself based on how you are as a person.