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The Poetry of Denise Levertov

Decent Essays
Denise Levertov was a unique poet by intertwining mysterious images in her poetry, often directing the reader towards themes, such as myth and nature (William Doreski 272). Levertov bases her poetry on immediate or past events in her life. Her father was a descendant of the founder of the sect Habad Hasidism. She found “asceticism” and “joy in the physical world," though understanding it in her own way and making her poems have a religious feeling to them. Her mother introduced her to many Victorian author’s, and Levertov wrote to many famous author’s during the time such as T.S Elliot for advice on her poetry (William Doreski 273). While working as a civilian nurse during WWII, she started writing her first book on poetry and in 1946 was able to publish one of her first great works, The Double Image, which was known by having a "neo-Romantic mood of poetry during the time." Now, her poetry is characterized by "defamiliarizing the domestic and natural world as well as emphasizing the essentially private way is forced to confront otherness (William Doreski 274). Denise Levertov was born on October 24,1923 in Ilford, England to a Russian-Jewish father (William Doreski 273). Her father was a descendant of the founder of the sect Habad Hasidism, in which some characteristics of the sect survive in her poetry finding “asceticism” and “joy in the physical world”, although understanding it from her own terms (William Doreski 273). Levertov did not have much formal education but
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