SPEECH, FOR INSTANCE

by Sidney Goldfarb ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 21, 1969

Who would not be disarmed by a personable young man who presents himself diffidently (""Don't be afraid of me/I'm coming from nowhere in particular/I'm not going anywhere in particular"") who disclaims a poetic stance (""I/don't know who's/listening/or watching/or what form/words should/take"") and who can write with unmistakable openness (""I/am a man/of deep/affection/and I want/to enter/the world./Please./ Teach me."") Sidney Goldfarb arranges simple language, ""speech, for instance,"" into simple lines often quite short indeed in order to explore his search for direction in a landscape that has for him neither morality nor direction. Central to his impulse as a poet is his origin -- ""I'm Jewish I'm American I'm Russian I'm Jewish"" -- and his dilemma, expressed in ""Sailing Off"" -- His sentiments are straight, his poetic structure is quite uncomplicated. One feels that he may eventually be driven to greater complexity of language if he ever is to fully express his depth of feeling; but that, of course, may be inseparable from achieving the comprehensive poetic and philosophic vision he still is searching for.

Pub Date: April 21, 1969

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1969

Categories: NONFICTION