Denise Levertov: A Poet's Life

4. “A Cataract Filming Over My Inner Eyes”

“a cataract filming over my inner eyes” 73 4 “A Cataract Filming Over My Inner Eyes” 1962-1967 It is hard to be an artist in this time because it is hard to be human: “Writers Take Sides on Vietnam”1 How to be an artist and person—how to live with joy and sorrow in difficult times—this was the conundrum that dominated Denise Levertov’s life for more than a decade. Her resolution was to be “poet in the world,” but this was costly. She longed for “claritas,” but war on the macrocosmic level and marital discord in the microcosm distorted her vision. The decade of the 1960s began well enough. It was an auspicious time to be a poet. Poetry magazines, publishing houses, poetry readings, and writerin -residence programs at colleges and universities proliferated, allowing for greater exposure for poets, especially for women, who previously had little opportunity for recognition of their talent. Levertov benefited from these circumstances.2 Positive reviews of The Jacob’s Ladder and her inclusion in The New American Poetry enhanced her visibility. She was in demand as a poet, and in 1962, was granted a coveted Guggenheim Fellowship. In addition to its prestige, the accompanying monetary award allowed her some luxuries: a new washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher. Each made domestic life simpler. Tensions in her marriage and family life had temporarily abated. The Goodmans spent a blissful summer in rural Maine, eating from the garden and enjoying the seclusion,3 although Denise sometimes chafed at the fact that she was dependent on Mitch to transport her everywhere. She had never learned to drive and suspected Mitch liked it that way. Mitch too was happy. His novel had been reviewed positively, and Denise was delighted for him, hoping that this literary success might provide him, now age thirtyeight , with a fresh start as a writer. Nik, now ready for high school, had been 74 chapter 4 given a tuition scholarship to Putney, a boarding school in Vermont. For all of them it was a good summer. But the memories of these idyllic months faded quickly. Nik’s adjustment to Putney was not easy, and Denise was constantly concerned for him. She worried about his erratic academic performance and his choice of friends. Counselors remarked on his lack of social engagement, but she remained confident of his idealistic nature and his ability to empathize with others, particularly those who did not fit in. She wanted to feel proud of Nik, but could not. Neither could she feel proud of Mitch,4 whose depression led him to see a Jungian therapist beginning in the early 1960s. By 1963, Denise sought out Ann van Waveren, her own Jungian therapist. Together, husband and wife read and discussed Jung’s writings and their individual dream life. Levertov was convinced that this gave them a bond that held their marriage together for several years.5 In her diary she made copious notes on her dreams, analyzing them and sometimes sharing them with others. In 1963, with Guggenheim support ended, Levertov contributed to the family’s finances through her poetry readings by working as poetry editor for the Nation, staying until early 1965 when Hayden Carruth took over, and by serving as a consultant first for Wesleyan University Press and a year later for W. W. Norton. Figure 5. Denise Levertov, 1962. Dante Levi. Special Collections, Stanford University. “a cataract filming over my inner eyes” 75 These last two assignments give some evidence of her prickliness and independence . At Wesleyan she defended the poetry of James Dickey, who subsequently asked her to be his literary executor replacing Donald Hall. Even though Levertov had never met Dickey, she agreed to his request, but then retracted it after they met. In a letter to Duncan she complained that she had been put in a “false position” and that Dickey was not to be trusted and had no soul.6 At Norton she acquired new poets like the Canadian Margaret Avison,7 but she also had run-ins with others, in this case the previous editor of Origin, Cid Corman. Their tussle occurred over Levertov’s insistence that Corman not be allowed to select what she considered inferior poems for a forthcoming Norton collection of poetry. Name-calling ensued. Corman said she was mean, bossy, and arrogant; she called him “bitter, vain, malicious & pathetic.” Although she ultimately apologized, she was...