American Literature

Hearts Needle and Orpheus by W. D. Snodgrass Reflections of an Era and an Authors Passion and Artistry
Peoples personal lives, experiences and trials have always been seen in literature and in several other forms of art such as paintings, music and film. Based on a general observation, it shows that a persons personal feats and trials still serve as one of the most moving forces or influence in his or her craft. A lot of authors in the field of poetry and literature such as Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell and Anne Sexton have been known for a particular genre where authors tend to emphasize delve on real-life experiences. These experiences may range from the loss of a loved one, a heart ache, a failure at a job, a venture, a dream or a successful adventure. Through extensive studies on this specific leaning or genre during the latter part of the 1950s and towards the dawn of the 1960s, this literary style has been identified as Confessional Poetry. And aside from the abovementioned authors, another name was able to stand afloat among the millions of writers in this field. He is William De Witt Snodgrass. Snodgrass who has been known over the years as a writer of themes that delved on public and private ideals and concepts has been considered to belong under the Confessional movement. Two of his works, Hearts Needle and Orpheus were also seen to depict some of the most interesting manifestations of this genre. Hence, in line with the general aim of exploring the connection of these works to the era of the authors genre, this discussion shall delve on analyzing main themes employed in these works, and how these themes related and connected to the authors perspectives as well as to the era of the Confessional movement from where he was seen to belong.

Who is W. D. Snodgrass
Snodgrass name has already made a considerable attention from the critics and readers alike during his poetic generation, 1950s onwards. His works were seen to appear in some of the worlds most prestigious publications such as The New Yorker, The Hudson Review, Botteghe Oscure, The Paris Interview, as well as the Partisan Review. Apart from this, his works and authorship has already been reviewed by some of the most renowned critics and authors themselves just like Robert Lowell   to whom his writing was mostly compared. This, apart from the incontestable reviews from avid readers make Snodgrass an interesting and author whose works may have had considerable impacts on the lives of his readers.

William De Witt Snodgrass was born in a humble village in Pennsylvania on the 5th January, 1926.  Though his family was not really that affluent to support Snodgrass high aspirations, he was nevertheless granted by his parents a good education which gave him a reliable foundation for the attainment of his dreams in the field of literature. Just like any other young man in his generation, Snodgrass was also required to enlist in the army for quite a while. After successfully getting out of this feat alive, Snodgrass gathered all his experiences and views of the war within himself and aimed for higher education in the University of Iowa. Right after graduating from this University, Snodgrass immediately ventured into poetry which is his first original passion. In 1959, he was able to publish his first poem Hearts Needle, and this immediately earned him recognition from the renowned Pulitzer Prize in the following year.

Aside from his innate literary mastery, Snodgrass was also known for his contributions in the foundation of the Confessional movement in poetry. As what has been mentioned earlier, Confessional poetry is a genre which emphasizes on the personal perspectives of the authors. The movement emerged around the late 1950s and the early 1960s and was associated to some equally renowned artists such as Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell and Anne Sexton. Snodgrass was considered as part of the movement as most of his works were seen to delve on personal experiences, emotions and perspectives. The Academy of American Poets has one of the most comprehensive explanations of what Confessional poetry. As what is states in the Academys official site, in Confessional poetry,

 Private experiences with and feelings about death, trauma, depression and relationships were addressed in this type of poetry, often in an autobiographical manner   The confessional poets were not merely recording their emotions on paper, craft and construction were extremely important to their work.

Snodgrass Hearts Needle and Sonnets to Orpheus are just two of his most reviewed works. In Hearts Needle, the authors emotions on pain and somber about war and childhood. As per the author himself, each line corresponds to a certain part of his life, as well as to a certain aspect of his view and perspective about life. Though most people easily find this reflective of their own life and experiences, the large reality is that is a complete reflection of the authors views and perspective about the particular themes and messages it displaces. Just like the aforementioned poem, Snodgrass Sonnets to Orpheus also talks about the major views and beliefs of the poet just like how the authors views were reflected in Hearts Needle.  In this collection, Snodgrass talks about his views on religion, supremacy and the different wonders and mysteries of life. Though most of the poems were drawn upon the persona of Greek mythological characters such as Orpheus and Eurydice, the message and the context of each sonnets were nonetheless built upon the perspective of  the author and his generation. Basically, though these poems speak about general ideals and concepts that encompass a lot of worldly issues and predicaments, it can still be observed that these works were patterned from the authors personal emotions and sentiments. Hence, as clearly as it looks, Snodgrass can indeed be considered under the Confessional movement in poetry.

Hence, Snodgrass has indeed been able to successfully establish his own place within the four walls of literature. Over the years, he has earned his own recognized name through the positive remarks of his critics as well as of the most prestigious institutions like New York Times, The London Magazine and the Pulitzer Prize. His poems have earned him a much coveted identity in contemporary poetry. In Stand, a critique, David McDuff notes of Snodgrass, Like other confessional poets, Snodgrass is at pains to reveal the repressed, violent feelings that often lurk beneath the seemingly placid surface of everyday life . Apart from this, The London Magazine has also spoke of the Snodgrass flexibility and well-roundedness which still added to his credibility and identity as a poet and author. The London Magazine notes,  Snodgrass is a vistuoso, not just of versification but of his feeling. He sends them round the loops of self-analysis with the same skill he uses to corset them into his poetry.  Clearly, Snodgrass has indeed been successful in establishing his own name in this field. His works are continuously being common subjects of critical review and analysis in the academe. Most of his works were seen to hold both private and public expressions of contemporary views and opinions. Nonetheless, these works were still seen to represent the general view and perspective of the authors generation and society. Hence, the succeeding discussions shall delve on analyzing the theme employed in these works, and will try to find out how these works became critically applauded despite their reflection to personal and private views and experiences of the author.

Hearts Needle
Hearts Needle is an enduring depiction of a mans struggle and pain of keeping his child by his side. In this poem, Snodgrass shares how painful it is to be kept away from his child despite his wanting to become a good father and provider. The following lines depict an incontestable suffering and agony from a father who is yearning for his childs attention and love
 By love I could not still
By fear that silenced my crampled mind
To that cold war where, lost, I could not find
My peace in my will
All those days we could keep
Your mind a landscape of a new snow
Where the chilled ,tenant-farmer finds, below
His fields asleep

In these lines, Snodgrass expresses how painful it is for a father to be kept away from his own child due to his career, as well as due to the blows of predicaments that he is currently experiencing in his marriage.
As clearly as it looks, these lines were greatly influenced by the authors personal struggles and hardships as a father and as a man who was once tied up to his career to the extent of complete absence as to his obligations and responsibilities as a father and as a spouse. During Snodgrass days, marriage was still as sacred as how it was before the foundation of divorce. During those days, separated couples were seen as failures to their commitment and to their children. Hence, it was clearly understandable that the author held such kind of struggle and pain while being amidst all the challenges of his marriage. And as what was expressed in the poem, one of the most bitter consequence of this event was the enforced decision to be away from his own daughter. If this poem will be seen as plainly as a person reading another persons letter, one may easily see such kind of expression as mere ranting of ones failures as a father. This could have easily trashed Snodgrass poem as people will not want to read about rants. However, it became a success despite the fact that it talks about the authors personal feelings since Snodgrass was actually talking about the universal dilemma of a broken marriage. It is themes like this which has made Snodgrass popular during his time. Raisor (1988) considers this ability of an author of tackling universal ideals as  walking through the universe  as the author is being gifted with the ability to learn of universal emotions and thoughts that can be used to catch a readers attention and interest.

Apart  from this, Snodgrass also tackles another universal emotion in this poem. Just as how he was
frustrated as a husband, it appears that one of  Snodgrass greatest failures and frustrations in life is that of being a father to his daughter as well. In the following lines, the authors neediness of his child and her affection was clearly expressed
 And the miniature painted train
wails on its oval track
you said, Im going to Pennsylvania
And waved. And youve come back
If I loved you, they said, Id leave
and find my own affairs
Well, once again this April, weve
come around to the bears
punished and cared for, behind bars,
the coons on bread and water
stretch thin black fingers after ours.
And you are still my daughter.

From these lines, Snodgrass yearning of fulfilling his roles and functions as a father to his daughter was very much apparent. He evidently wished he could join his daughter as she played toy trains, as well as to join her when she wanted to go places. Obviously, the author wanted to escape from his affairs and professional obligations just so he could give his daughter some worthwhile time. However, the distance and coldness between them were indeed inevitable. The reasons why the author had to be separated from his child were indeed inescapable considering his current affairs and obligations during his time. Again, although it may easily be assumed that this poem is a plain act of ranting about the authors struggles and dilemmas during a particular point in his life, it can be observed that such an issue can be considered as a universal ideal.

Fatherhood, just like motherhood, and having a family is a universal thing. Almost every single man on this planet becomes a father at a specific point of their life. And although not all becomes a dedicated and a loving father, it can nonetheless be easily assumed that all father would understand and relate to the feeling of having an offspring from his own body and blood. In the context of this poem, although the author may not appear like a very committed and dedicated father to his daughter   as what their distance and time spent together may show   he was nonetheless filled with pain and sadness by the fact that the chance of being a father was taken away from him. And as what can be generally observed, parenthood is a universal concept as well. Parents, regardless of the kind of relationship they have with their children cannot deny the fact to themselves in any way that their children will always be part of their individuality. Hence, considering these realities, it can be assumed that the reason why Snodgrass poems worked despite the fact that most of it appeared like his personal expressions of frustration and anger only, is because the themes and ideals tackled in such confessions were actually universal concepts to which a lot of readers easily relate to.

Sonnets to Orpheus
Sonnets to Orpheus just like the abovementioned poem, Hearts Needle is another portrayal of the authors dynamic and complex life. In this poem, the author mentions two of the most interesting love tandems in Greek mythology, Orpheus and Eurydice. Basically, this work is all about the struggles and the challenges that the author went through in his first marriage. The work talks about the ups and downs, the dilemmas, the difficulties as well as the pains and miseries of a broken relationship, but in the context of Orpheus character. In the beginning of the poem, Snodgrass already takes the readers into the dimness of his first marriage by creating a scene which was supposed to have been taken by Orpheus and Eurydices characters. Snodgrass notes,
 But with their listening. Bellow, shriek and roar
Seemed little in their hearts. And where had been
Scarcely a hut to take that in before,
A Shelter, hidden from their dark desiring, Having an enrtyway whose timbers
tremble   You founded temples for them in their hearing.

In these lines, the words such as shriek, roar, dark desiring and timbers tremble can be easily associated to bitter and cold relationship which can also be associated to a failing and dying marriage. Orpheus and Eurydice are two characters from the Greek mythology who belong to one of the most undying tales of love ever told by Homer. However, just like some of the love stories in Homers work, this tale of Orpheus and Eurydice was also subjected to a bitter end. Hence, it is quite understandable that Snodgrass chose to utilize these characters in depicting the bitter end of his first marriage.

As what has been said earlier about the aforementioned poem, Hearts Needle, this work by Snodgrass   though it mentions specific characters from another work   may still appear like a complete ranting and expression of the authors bitterness and anger about his own failed marriage. The above cited quote as well as the rest of the poem basically captures the authors emotions and sentiments as to the reasons and factors why his love and commitment to his spouse faltered despite his previous dedication to her. Hence, people could have just treated this work as another pubic expression of sorrow, guilt and bitterness but instead, readers and critics alike actually considered this as work as one of Snodgrass most valuable piece of work.

If it is going to looked at closely, this work,. Just like the poem discussed previously also tackles a universal tendency and ideal which is divorce, or breaking up. Similarly, it talks about heartache, and misery out of love that can be considered as some of the worlds most famous subject matters when it comes to art like music and film. Also, considering the fact that marriage was actually seen more sacred during Snodgrass time, it may also appear like people sought stories like this just to assure themselves that divorce and separation are naturally occuring phenomena that have to be accepted by the society eventually. Hence, these may be regarded as the basic reasons why despite the incontestable fact that this poem appears as the authors personal expression of his private emotions and affairs, it was nonetheless accepted and patronized by readers since it delves on a universal ideal and concept to which a lot of people can easily relate to.