American Literature

I. Part one Topic
a) Dickey as iconoclastic writer who critiqued civilisation from the standpoint of an outsider
b) Critical controversy around confessionalism obscures artistic and existential greatness (Oates)
c) Existential discomfort in reader leads to openness to critique
d) Thesis Dickeys poetry derives its power from human tendency to descend and ascend, or die and be reborn
e) Escape from mechanized and alienating existence in natural world, place of spiritual becoming Dickeys goal is to help humans experience existence in a natural, restorative, bodily way
f) Movement into nature is descent, while rebirth from out of nature is ascent

II.  Part two Elaboration of topic
Descent into naturedeath
Descent comprehends primitivism, animals and communion with nature, while ascent comprehends violence of rebirth, religious theme of resurrection and ur-human evolution
Primitivism and the shockingly bizarre images (Bobbit) that enact critique of civilisation sheep child
Shock of Falling which enacts merger with nature (Applewhite) Falling shows violence and transcendence of descent into nature
Nakedness and spiritual evolution Falling and Springer Mountain
Animals The Heaven of Animals and Approaching Prayer Dickey both depicts animals in their natural habitat and shows human-animal merger, which leads to illumination
Communion with nature integration of human and nature in Trees and Cattle flourishing and violence of rebirth transition to ascent

Ascentrebirth
Concept of resurrection transforms and thus critiques a concept of western civilisation, and offers a model of simultaneous spiritual and bodily rebirth recovery of individual relationship to God
ii. Ur-human (Hill) and Walking on Water narrators communion with nature invests him with superhuman powers, representing the infinite expansion and rebirth of his human self

III. Part three Conclusion and Thesis Outline
Chapter one overview of topic, expansion of part one
Chapter two human primitivism, nakedness and violence, and critique of civilisation
Chapter three animals, both totemic representations and human-animal merging
Chapter four communion with naturerebirth
Chapter five relationship between violence and rebirth
Chapter six concept of resurrection
Chapter seven achievement of ur-human powers through communion with nature
Final chapter synthesis, comprehensive picture of Dickeys critique, and his notion of subtlety of mind