Rexroth, Kenneth

The Morning Star

ISBN: 0811207404
New York, NY: New Directions Books, 1979. First Softcover Edition Thus. Softcover. "The transcendent, unchanging beauty of nature, the evanescent mutable lives and loves of man are the twin themes of Kenneth Rexroth's newest collection of poems and translations, The Morning Star. The first section, "The Silver Swan- Poems and Translations Written in Kyoto 1974-78," contains a new group of Rexroth's own crystalline glimpses of the natural world as well as translations...Inspired by the tumulus of a "long dead princess" near the 700-year-old farmhouse in which Rexroth and his wife, Carol Tinker, lived during their stay in Kyoto, the second section of the volume, "On Flower Wreath Hill," is a meditation on mortality and eternity, for Flower Wreath Hill is a Chinese and Japanese euphemism for a cemetery. Having given his readers glimpses of the deeply sensuous Marichiko in previous books, Rexroth concludes The Morning Star with his translations of an entire sequence by this young woman of Kyoto, "The Love Poems of Marichiko," the series forming, in Rexroth's words, "a sort of little novel." " (from back cover) Three later collections of poetry gathered in one volume by Kenneth Rexroth (1905-1982), the great American poet who was a most influential mentor to the primary figures of the Beat Generation & the San Francisco Renaissance- he was even the "Master of Ceremonies" at the legendary Six Gallery reading in San Francisco held during 1955 in which Allen Ginsberg first recited "Howl." First softcover edition thus of the three sections previously published under their own titles (referred to in quote above), published simultaneously with a hardcover edition, all as indicated on copyright page. A production of New Directions, the imprint of James Laughlin (1914-1997), brave beacon of literary & artistic freedom. Interestingly, we have seen a reference that the poet-muse Marichiko was an invention of Rexroth's, not an actual person whose work he claimed to have translated per above quote. In any case, this is an exemplary Rexroth collectible from the still-inspired & yearning sunset of his long career. In fine condition with mild-to-moderate rubbing, browning, scratching & short, faint creasing to front, back covers & spine; mild wear & a few tiny bumps at edges & corners of same; mild rubbing, browning & spotting to side & lower edges of text block; more pronounced at upper edge of same. Interior very fine with only sparse, light spotting to blank areas of inner covers & a few page leaves; tiny bumps at corners of a few leaves. Fine. [Item #4374]

Price: $30.00 save 20% $24.00