John Crowe Ransom
John Crowe Ransom
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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John Crowe Ransom was a renowned American poet, critic, and academic, known by his friends and family as "Ranny."
Birth and Death Dates
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Born on February 30, 1888, in Pulaski, Tennessee, he passed away on July 3, 1974.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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An American of English descent, Ransom was a poet, literary critic, and academic. He taught at several prestigious institutions, including Kenyon College, where he served as president from 1937 to 1959.
Early Life and Background
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Ransom grew up in a family that valued literature and education. His father, a minister and educator, encouraged his love for reading and writing. Ransom attended the University of Nashville (now Vanderbilt University) before moving on to Oxford University, where he earned his M.A. He later returned to America and began teaching at various institutions.
Major Accomplishments
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Ransom's contributions to literature are multifaceted:
Editor: He co-founded _The Kenyon Review_ in 1939, which became a leading literary magazine of its time.
Poet: His poetry collections, including "Two Gentlemen in Bonds" (1916) and "Chills and Fever" (1924), showcased his mastery of traditional forms and innovative techniques.
Critic: Ransom's critical essays and reviews appeared in prominent publications like _The Nation_ and _The New Republic_. He was known for his advocacy of the New Criticism movement, which emphasized close reading and attention to literary form.Notable Works or Actions
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Some notable works and actions associated with Ransom include:
"Chills and Fever" (1924): His second poetry collection, praised by critics for its nuanced exploration of modern life.
"God without Thunder" (1930): A collection that marked a shift in his style toward more introspective and spiritual themes.
New Criticism: Ransom played a significant role in shaping the New Criticism movement, which influenced literary scholarship and teaching practices for decades.
Impact and Legacy
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Ransom's impact on American literature is profound:
Advocacy of New Criticism: His essays and reviews helped popularize the New Criticism movement, which emphasized close reading and attention to literary form.
Literary Magazine Editor: As co-founder and editor of _The Kenyon Review_, Ransom provided a platform for emerging writers and poets to share their work with a wider audience.
Academic Leadership: His presidency at Kenyon College (1937-1959) helped establish the institution as a hub for literary excellence and innovation.Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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John Crowe Ransom's legacy endures due to his:
Influence on American Literature: As a poet, critic, and academic, he left an indelible mark on the literary landscape.
Advocacy of New Criticism: His efforts helped shape the way readers approach and analyze literature.
Legacy as Editor and Academic Leader: Ransom's tenure at Kenyon College and his work with _The Kenyon Review_ have inspired generations of writers, scholars, and educators.
Quotes by John Crowe Ransom
Or he can work it out as a metrical and formal exercise, but he will be disappointed in its content. The New Year’s prospect fairly chills his daunting breast.
Till now poets were privileged to insert a certain proportion of nonsense – very far in excess of one-half of one per cent – into their otherwise sober documents.
When critics are waiting to pounce upon poetic style on exactly the same grounds as if it were prose, the poets tremble.
The image cannot be dispossessed of a primordial freshness, which idea can never claim. An idea is derivative and tamed. The imageis in the natural or wild state, and it has to be discovered there, not put there, obeying its own law and none of ours. We think we can lay hold of image and take it captive, but the docile captive is not the real image but only the idea, which is the image with its character beaten out of it.
God have mercy on the sinner Who must write with no dinner, No gravy and no grub, No pewter and no pub, No bellyand no bowels, Only consonants and vowels.
Would you ascend to Heaven and bodiless dwell? Or take your bodies honorless to Hell? In Heaven you have heard no marriage is, No white flesh tinder to your lecheries
Great lovers lie in Hell, the stubborn ones Infatuate of the flesh upon the bones; Stuprate, they rend each other when they kiss, The pieces kiss again, no end to this.
In all the good Greek of Plato I lack my roastbeef and potato. A better man was Aristotle, Pulling steady on the bottle.
