Timothy Steele
Encyclopedia
Timothy Steele is an American
poet
and academic. Born in Burlington, Vermont
, in 1948, he is a professor of English at California State University
, Los Angeles
. Some of Steele's early verse appeared in X. J. Kennedy
's Counter/Measures in the early seventies. He went on to become a figure in the New Formalism
movement, along with other poets including Robert Shaw and Charles Martin. Timothy Steele has published several books on the study of poetic modernism in addition to collections of his prose. Steele was also an original faculty member of the West Chester University Poetry Conference
"Form and Narrative in Poetry". He has received numerous accolades and awards for his work, including the Robert Fitzgerald Prosody Award
in 2004. The Academy of American Poets
awarded him the Peter I. B. Laven younger poets award, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
granted him a Guggenheim Fellowship
. He has held teaching positions at several universities including Stanford
, UCLA and his current position as a professor at California State University, Los Angeles
.
, where he became interested in poetry at an early age. He was influenced by the work of his state's poet laureate Robert Frost
and in particular Frost's poetry about Steele's native Vermont
. He then studied at Stanford University
for his undergraduate degree in English after graduating in 1970. Steele went on to attend Brandeis University
, graduating with a masters degree in 1972 and with a doctorate in English and American Literature in 1977. At Brandeis University
Steele had the opportunity to study under the well-known formalist poet J. V. Cunningham
, who would prove be very influential to Steele's writing style.
in 1975 to begin his career in academia. While serving as a poetry lecturer at Stanford he was awarded a Stegner Fellowship
for creative writing. Steele went on to teach at UCLA and then California State University, Los Angeles
, where he is still on the teaching staff as an English professor.
school of poetry. Steele's writing style follows a more traditionally structured formant than the majority of contemporary poets. In contrast to free verse
poetry, which has little to no formal structure, Steele's work tends to use the more structured form of meter
and verse
which are often associated with poets such as Yvor Winters
and his mentor J. V. Cunningham
. This formal style of poetry was in contrast to the free verse-dominated culture of contemporary poets who follow in the footsteps of famous poets such as Ezra Pound
and T. S. Eliot
. During an interview with Kevin Walzer at a conference on formalist poetry at West Chester University in 1995, Steele described how his love of the music elements of classical poetry influenced his decision to attempt to revive the traditional forms of poetry. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times
Steele explains his goals in using traditional poetic structure. "Well-used meter and rhyme can create a sense of liveliness and a symmetry and surprise that can produce delight and pleasure for the reader," he said. "I suppose I want to say something important. And I would hope the reader would be interested in it. But I also hope to give the reader pleasure." His revival of the traditionalist method of writing poetry has also put him at the forefront of a debate within poetry. Steele has published five volumes of poetry over the three decades of his career. While generally adhering to a traditionalist style of prose, the subject matter of his poems often deviates from traditionalist themes and instead writes poems of a personal nature regarding the everyday life of the world around him. While Steele may use a traditional method of expressing his poetry his unique interpretation of meter and verse have defined his work as his own creation rather than an attempt to revive a lost form of prose.
method. Steele's traditionalist poetry was initially met with skepticism; only a few poetic journals including The Southern Review and the Greensboro Review took an interest in his work. During an interview with Kevin Walzer, Steel described how alien his concepts were: "I felt like Poet From Another Planet, at least in the company of my contemporaries." Steele has been labeled as one of the leaders of the new formalism
school of poetry. The publication of his book Missing Measures: Modern Poetry and the Revolt Against Meter has not been universally well received. One critic writing for The American Scholar states:
"According to Steele, free verse results in a wholly subjective poetry that is divorced from human experience, solipsistic, and therefore immoral; its adherents, who refuse to abide by universal standards of judgment, persistently indulge in irrationality and illusory novelty and . . . are guilty of automatic writing. Steele does not admit that free verse can lead to anything other than these vices."
Despite the mixed reaction to his book and his attempts to restore meter and rhyme
back to prominence in contemporary poetry, Timothy Steele remains one of the most important poets of his generation.
General Ludendorff, two years before,
Had pushed the concept in his Total War,
And so it seemed a perfect time to see
If one could undermine an enemy
striking its civilian population.
This proved a most effective innovation,
the defenseless ancient Basque town learned:
Three quarters of its buildings bombed and burned,
Its children and young wives were blown to bits
Or gunned down, when they fled, by Messerschmitts.
Shocked condemnations poured forth from the press,
Franco triumphed; and, buoyed by success,
The Luftwaffe would similarly slam
and Coventry and Rotterdam.
Berlin cheered these developments; but two
Can play such games—and usually do—
No matter how repellent or how bloody.
Churchill was, as always, a quick study
And would adopt the tactic as his own,
Sending the RAF to blitz Cologne.
Devising better ways to carpet-bomb
Which later were employed in Vietnam,
The Allies, in a show of aerial might,
Incinerated Dresden in a night
That left the good and evil to their fates,
While back in the untorched United States
Others approved an even darker plan
To coax a prompt surrender from Japan.
That day in Spain has taught us, to our cost,
That there are lines that never should be crossed;
The ignorance of leaders is not bliss
If they’re intent on tempting Nemesis.
Each day we rise, and each day life goes on:
An author signs beneath a colophon;
Trucks carry freight through waves of desert heat;
A bat cracks, a crowd rises to its feet;
Huge jets lift to the sky, and, higher yet,
Float satellites that serve the Internet.
But still, despite our cleverness and love,
Regardless of the past, regardless of
The future on which all our hopes are pinned,
We’ll reap the whirlwind, who have sown the wind.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and academic. Born in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, in 1948, he is a professor of English at California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Some of Steele's early verse appeared in X. J. Kennedy
X. J. Kennedy
X. J. Kennedy is a poet, translator, anthologist, editor, and writer of children's literature and student textbooks on English literature and poetry.-Beginnings and academic career:...
's Counter/Measures in the early seventies. He went on to become a figure in the New Formalism
New Formalism
New Formalism is a late-20th and early 21st century movement in American poetry that has promoted a return to metrical and rhymed verse.-Origins and intentions:...
movement, along with other poets including Robert Shaw and Charles Martin. Timothy Steele has published several books on the study of poetic modernism in addition to collections of his prose. Steele was also an original faculty member of the West Chester University Poetry Conference
West Chester University Poetry Conference
West Chester University Poetry Conference is an international poetry conference that has been held annually since 1995 at West Chester University, Pennsylvania, United States. It hosts various panel discussions and poetry craft workshops, which focus primarily on formal poetry, narrative poetry,...
"Form and Narrative in Poetry". He has received numerous accolades and awards for his work, including the Robert Fitzgerald Prosody Award
Robert Fitzgerald Prosody Award
The Robert Fitzgerald Prosody Award is awarded to scholars who have made a lasting contribution to the art and science of versification. The award was named after the poet, critic, and translator Robert Fitzgerald. It was established in 1999 at the Fifth Annual West Chester University Poetry...
in 2004. The Academy of American Poets
Academy of American Poets
The Academy of American Poets is a non-profit organization dedicated to the art of poetry. The Academy was incorporated as a "membership corporation" in New York State in 1934...
awarded him the Peter I. B. Laven younger poets award, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
granted him a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
. He has held teaching positions at several universities including Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, UCLA and his current position as a professor at California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system...
.
Education
Timothy Steels attended public school in Burlington, VermontBurlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, where he became interested in poetry at an early age. He was influenced by the work of his state's poet laureate Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
and in particular Frost's poetry about Steele's native Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. He then studied at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
for his undergraduate degree in English after graduating in 1970. Steele went on to attend Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
, graduating with a masters degree in 1972 and with a doctorate in English and American Literature in 1977. At Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
Steele had the opportunity to study under the well-known formalist poet J. V. Cunningham
J. V. Cunningham
James Vincent Cunningham was an American poet, literary critic, and teacher. Sometimes described as a neo-classicist or anti-modernist, his poetry was distinguished by its clarity, its brevity, and its traditional formality of rhyme and rhythm at a time when many American poets were breaking away...
, who would prove be very influential to Steele's writing style.
Career
Steele returned to his alma mater Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1975 to begin his career in academia. While serving as a poetry lecturer at Stanford he was awarded a Stegner Fellowship
Stegner Fellowship
The Stegner Fellowship program is a two-year creative writing fellowship at Stanford University. The award is named after American Wallace Stegner , an historian, novelist, short story writer, environmentalist, and Stanford faculty member who founded the university's creative writing program. Ten...
for creative writing. Steele went on to teach at UCLA and then California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system...
, where he is still on the teaching staff as an English professor.
Poetry
Timothy Steele's style of prose has seen him associated with members of the New FormalismNew Formalism
New Formalism is a late-20th and early 21st century movement in American poetry that has promoted a return to metrical and rhymed verse.-Origins and intentions:...
school of poetry. Steele's writing style follows a more traditionally structured formant than the majority of contemporary poets. In contrast to free verse
Free verse
Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern.Poets have explained that free verse, despite its freedom, is not free. Free Verse displays some elements of form...
poetry, which has little to no formal structure, Steele's work tends to use the more structured form of meter
Meter (poetry)
In poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
and verse
Verse (poetry)
A verse is formally a single line in a metrical composition, e.g. poetry. However, the word has come to represent any division or grouping of words in such a composition, which traditionally had been referred to as a stanza....
which are often associated with poets such as Yvor Winters
Yvor Winters
Arthur Yvor Winters was an American poet and literary critic.-As modernist:Winters's early poetry, which appeared in small avant-garde magazines alongside work by writers like James Joyce and Gertrude Stein, was written in the modernist idiom, and was heavily influenced both by Native American...
and his mentor J. V. Cunningham
J. V. Cunningham
James Vincent Cunningham was an American poet, literary critic, and teacher. Sometimes described as a neo-classicist or anti-modernist, his poetry was distinguished by its clarity, its brevity, and its traditional formality of rhyme and rhythm at a time when many American poets were breaking away...
. This formal style of poetry was in contrast to the free verse-dominated culture of contemporary poets who follow in the footsteps of famous poets such as Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
and T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
. During an interview with Kevin Walzer at a conference on formalist poetry at West Chester University in 1995, Steele described how his love of the music elements of classical poetry influenced his decision to attempt to revive the traditional forms of poetry. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
Steele explains his goals in using traditional poetic structure. "Well-used meter and rhyme can create a sense of liveliness and a symmetry and surprise that can produce delight and pleasure for the reader," he said. "I suppose I want to say something important. And I would hope the reader would be interested in it. But I also hope to give the reader pleasure." His revival of the traditionalist method of writing poetry has also put him at the forefront of a debate within poetry. Steele has published five volumes of poetry over the three decades of his career. While generally adhering to a traditionalist style of prose, the subject matter of his poems often deviates from traditionalist themes and instead writes poems of a personal nature regarding the everyday life of the world around him. While Steele may use a traditional method of expressing his poetry his unique interpretation of meter and verse have defined his work as his own creation rather than an attempt to revive a lost form of prose.
Controversy
Steele's advocacy for the return to more traditional styles of poetry have been met with resistance by poets who favor the less structured free verseFree verse
Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern.Poets have explained that free verse, despite its freedom, is not free. Free Verse displays some elements of form...
method. Steele's traditionalist poetry was initially met with skepticism; only a few poetic journals including The Southern Review and the Greensboro Review took an interest in his work. During an interview with Kevin Walzer, Steel described how alien his concepts were: "I felt like Poet From Another Planet, at least in the company of my contemporaries." Steele has been labeled as one of the leaders of the new formalism
New Formalism
New Formalism is a late-20th and early 21st century movement in American poetry that has promoted a return to metrical and rhymed verse.-Origins and intentions:...
school of poetry. The publication of his book Missing Measures: Modern Poetry and the Revolt Against Meter has not been universally well received. One critic writing for The American Scholar states:
"According to Steele, free verse results in a wholly subjective poetry that is divorced from human experience, solipsistic, and therefore immoral; its adherents, who refuse to abide by universal standards of judgment, persistently indulge in irrationality and illusory novelty and . . . are guilty of automatic writing. Steele does not admit that free verse can lead to anything other than these vices."
Despite the mixed reaction to his book and his attempts to restore meter and rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
back to prominence in contemporary poetry, Timothy Steele remains one of the most important poets of his generation.
Selected work
April 27, 1937General Ludendorff, two years before,
Had pushed the concept in his Total War,
And so it seemed a perfect time to see
If one could undermine an enemy
striking its civilian population.
This proved a most effective innovation,
the defenseless ancient Basque town learned:
Three quarters of its buildings bombed and burned,
Its children and young wives were blown to bits
Or gunned down, when they fled, by Messerschmitts.
Shocked condemnations poured forth from the press,
Franco triumphed; and, buoyed by success,
The Luftwaffe would similarly slam
and Coventry and Rotterdam.
Berlin cheered these developments; but two
Can play such games—and usually do—
No matter how repellent or how bloody.
Churchill was, as always, a quick study
And would adopt the tactic as his own,
Sending the RAF to blitz Cologne.
Devising better ways to carpet-bomb
Which later were employed in Vietnam,
The Allies, in a show of aerial might,
Incinerated Dresden in a night
That left the good and evil to their fates,
While back in the untorched United States
Others approved an even darker plan
To coax a prompt surrender from Japan.
That day in Spain has taught us, to our cost,
That there are lines that never should be crossed;
The ignorance of leaders is not bliss
If they’re intent on tempting Nemesis.
Each day we rise, and each day life goes on:
An author signs beneath a colophon;
Trucks carry freight through waves of desert heat;
A bat cracks, a crowd rises to its feet;
Huge jets lift to the sky, and, higher yet,
Float satellites that serve the Internet.
But still, despite our cleverness and love,
Regardless of the past, regardless of
The future on which all our hopes are pinned,
We’ll reap the whirlwind, who have sown the wind.
Awards
- Guggenheim Fellowship
- Peter I. B. Lavan Younger Poets Award from the Academy of American Poets
- Los Angeles PEN Center’s Literary Award for Poetry
- California Arts Council Grant
- Commonwealth Club of California Medal for Poetry
- Robert Fitzgerald Award for Excellence in the Study of Prosody
External links
- Home page
- Timothy Steele at the Academy of American PoetsAcademy of American PoetsThe Academy of American Poets is a non-profit organization dedicated to the art of poetry. The Academy was incorporated as a "membership corporation" in New York State in 1934...
- Interview by Cynthia L. Haven in Cortland Review, June 2000
- Interview by Kevin Durkin
- Interviews-with-poets.com [ital] Three