Abstract

This paper examines the change in Harold Pinter’s poetry by analyzing and contextualizing his representative pieces in different periods. It argues that Pinter’s poetry has on the whole undergone a shift from a “baroque style” in his youth to a “plain style” in his late age. Obsessed with language and influenced by such writers as Dylan Thomas, W. S. Graham, and others, much of Pinter’s early poetry from the 1950s to the 1970s appears elaborate, obscure, and complicated. As time goes by, his poetry becomes clearer, briefer, and more intelligible, especially in the 1990s and beyond. The transformation is closely connected with his life experience. Examining this change helps us better understand the development of Pinter’s poetic career.

pdf