Language Poets Use

Book excerpt: Mrs Nowottny's chief aim in this 'valuable book which could serve as a useful introduction to practical criticism' (Review of English Studies) is to inquire as to what it is that makes the language of poetry poetic. The book grows out of the leading trends today in ideas about language and the way it works but to the matters discussed Mrs Nowottny brings a keen mind of her own and considerable powers as a literary critic. Stressing the continuity of poetry with other uses of language she shows how under the control of the poet's purpose everyday language contributes to the achievement of the most complex and profound effects, and she illustrates these effects with a wealth of examples. Mrs Nowottny is Lecturer in English at University College, London.