Kenneth Koch
Born: 1925- 2002
Years Active: 1950s- 2002
Genre: surrealism, satire, irony
Biography
Kenneth Koch was born in 1925 in Cincinnati, Ohio where he spent most of his youth. Kenneth began writing and reading poems from an early age. In 1946 at the age of 18, he served in the U.S. military during World War II. After completing his service Kenneth attended Harvard University and subsequently Colombia University.
While attending Harvard, Kenneth became affiliated with members of the “New York School”. The New York School was a group of artists who wanted to break free from the contemporary art of the time. Many of Kenneth’s ideals about poetry and art in general align with the major beliefs of those involved with the New York School.
Kenneth was married twice, first in 1954 to Janice Elwood, whom he had one daughter with, and following her death, he was married again in 1994 to Karen Culler. Kenneth was first published in the early 1950 and continued to write and be published up until his death in 2002 of leukemia. Kenneth published poetry collections, plays, and works of fiction. Kenneth received many awards for his work including Bollingen Prize for Poetry in 1995.
Works
Poems
Poems (1953)
Ko (1960)
Permanently (1961)
Thank You (1962)
When the Sun Tries to Go On (1969)
The Pleasures of Peace (1969)
Sleeping with Women (1969)
The Art of Love (1975)
The Duplications (1977)
The Burning Mystery of Anna in 1951 (1979)
From the Air (1979)
Days and Nights (1982)
On the Edge (1986)
Seasons on Earth (1987)
On the Great Atlantic Rainway: Selected Poems (1994)
One Train (1994)
Straits (1998)
Plays
Bertha and Other Plays (1966)
A Change of Hearts (1973)
The Red Robins (1979)
One Thousand Avant-Garde Plays (1988)
The Gold Standard (1996)
Fiction
Hotel Lambosa (1988)
The Red Robins (1975)
Moods
Surreal: “Create a great hole in the mattress and spring with/ you hatchet/ And then leap on her, covered with feathers and shiny/ metal springs” (The Art of Love)
Defiant: “One single piece of pink mint chewing gum contains more pleasures / Than the whole rude gallery of war!” (The Pleasure of Peace)
Comical: “If you do not have money, you must probably earn/ some/ But do it in a way that is pleasant and does/ not take too much time. Paint ridiculous pictures/ is one good way, and giving lectures about yourself in/ another.” (The Art of Love)
Honest: “We tell each other the names of writers in great secret/ secret but absolutely no one else cares so why keep it” (On Train)
Ironic: “The panda in the Beijing Zoo/ Is a minority nationality/ The panda in the American zoo/ Is overseas Chinese” (On Train)
Groups or Movements
Kenneth Koch was affiliated with the “New York School”, a group of artists (formed in the 1950s) whose arts often reflected surrealist ideas. In regards to poetry, the New York School was anti confessionalist, thus rejecting contemporary poetry of the time. Much of what was written by poets in the New York School was filled with surreal images, stream of consciousness, and messages that were impulsive as well as direct.
Koch’s poetry greatly reflects these values. Many of Koch’s poems are upbeat and humorous, especially The Art of Love (1975). In addition to being non confessional, much of Koch’s works include surreal images that challenge as well as engage the reader. Some of his most vivid surreal images can be found in When the Sun Tries to Go On (1969).
Similar Artists, Followers, Influenced by
Influenced By:
One poet that Koch was influenced by is Ezra Pound. Pound was a major figure in the ‘modernist’ movement in the early to mid 20th century. Koch is quoted as saying: “Artistically I was excited by Pound. In New Addresses I felt free to use tones and lines and phrases from other poets. For example, in the poem "To the Unknown", I have the line "Let me know in advance, and I will come down to meet you / As far as the open part in which you live."
Koch was also influenced by his friends Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery. Both O’Hara and Ashbery were members of the New York School with Koch, whom was quoted as saying “Some writers of my own generation have been very important to me. The ones I've been most moved by have been Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery”. Both O’Hara and Ashbery’s poetry is filled with surrealist images, which was a common thing among writers in the New York School. These artists and others shared ideas with Koch with heavily influenced his writing.
Similar Artists
In addition to being influenced by Frank O’Hara and John Ashbery, Koch’s work is similar in many regards to the work of both poets. Because they were all member of the New York School, they held to many of the same poetic values, and thusly their works are akin. All three poets use a great deal of surrealist images in their writings. Their poems also tend to include humor and witticisms.
Follower
Ron Padgett was a student of Koch’s while he studied creative writing at Wagner College. Padgett later became a poet and essayist of his own right. He was also a member of the New York School, and thusly embodied many of their principles in his writing. Like Koch, Padgett used surreal images in his writing, along with humor. Koch also encouraged Padgett to teaching poetry to children, which he did from 1969 until 1978.
Born: 1925- 2002
Years Active: 1950s- 2002
Genre: surrealism, satire, irony
Biography
Kenneth Koch was born in 1925 in Cincinnati, Ohio where he spent most of his youth. Kenneth began writing and reading poems from an early age. In 1946 at the age of 18, he served in the U.S. military during World War II. After completing his service Kenneth attended Harvard University and subsequently Colombia University.
While attending Harvard, Kenneth became affiliated with members of the “New York School”. The New York School was a group of artists who wanted to break free from the contemporary art of the time. Many of Kenneth’s ideals about poetry and art in general align with the major beliefs of those involved with the New York School.
Kenneth was married twice, first in 1954 to Janice Elwood, whom he had one daughter with, and following her death, he was married again in 1994 to Karen Culler. Kenneth was first published in the early 1950 and continued to write and be published up until his death in 2002 of leukemia. Kenneth published poetry collections, plays, and works of fiction. Kenneth received many awards for his work including Bollingen Prize for Poetry in 1995.
Works
Poems
Poems (1953)
Ko (1960)
Permanently (1961)
Thank You (1962)
When the Sun Tries to Go On (1969)
The Pleasures of Peace (1969)
Sleeping with Women (1969)
The Art of Love (1975)
The Duplications (1977)
The Burning Mystery of Anna in 1951 (1979)
From the Air (1979)
Days and Nights (1982)
On the Edge (1986)
Seasons on Earth (1987)
On the Great Atlantic Rainway: Selected Poems (1994)
One Train (1994)
Straits (1998)
Plays
Bertha and Other Plays (1966)
A Change of Hearts (1973)
The Red Robins (1979)
One Thousand Avant-Garde Plays (1988)
The Gold Standard (1996)
Fiction
Hotel Lambosa (1988)
The Red Robins (1975)
Moods
Surreal: “Create a great hole in the mattress and spring with/ you hatchet/ And then leap on her, covered with feathers and shiny/ metal springs” (The Art of Love)
Defiant: “One single piece of pink mint chewing gum contains more pleasures / Than the whole rude gallery of war!” (The Pleasure of Peace)
Comical: “If you do not have money, you must probably earn/ some/ But do it in a way that is pleasant and does/ not take too much time. Paint ridiculous pictures/ is one good way, and giving lectures about yourself in/ another.” (The Art of Love)
Honest: “We tell each other the names of writers in great secret/ secret but absolutely no one else cares so why keep it” (On Train)
Ironic: “The panda in the Beijing Zoo/ Is a minority nationality/ The panda in the American zoo/ Is overseas Chinese” (On Train)
Groups or Movements
Kenneth Koch was affiliated with the “New York School”, a group of artists (formed in the 1950s) whose arts often reflected surrealist ideas. In regards to poetry, the New York School was anti confessionalist, thus rejecting contemporary poetry of the time. Much of what was written by poets in the New York School was filled with surreal images, stream of consciousness, and messages that were impulsive as well as direct.
Koch’s poetry greatly reflects these values. Many of Koch’s poems are upbeat and humorous, especially The Art of Love (1975). In addition to being non confessional, much of Koch’s works include surreal images that challenge as well as engage the reader. Some of his most vivid surreal images can be found in When the Sun Tries to Go On (1969).
Similar Artists, Followers, Influenced by
Influenced By:
One poet that Koch was influenced by is Ezra Pound. Pound was a major figure in the ‘modernist’ movement in the early to mid 20th century. Koch is quoted as saying: “Artistically I was excited by Pound. In New Addresses I felt free to use tones and lines and phrases from other poets. For example, in the poem "To the Unknown", I have the line "Let me know in advance, and I will come down to meet you / As far as the open part in which you live."
Koch was also influenced by his friends Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery. Both O’Hara and Ashbery were members of the New York School with Koch, whom was quoted as saying “Some writers of my own generation have been very important to me. The ones I've been most moved by have been Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery”. Both O’Hara and Ashbery’s poetry is filled with surrealist images, which was a common thing among writers in the New York School. These artists and others shared ideas with Koch with heavily influenced his writing.
Similar Artists
In addition to being influenced by Frank O’Hara and John Ashbery, Koch’s work is similar in many regards to the work of both poets. Because they were all member of the New York School, they held to many of the same poetic values, and thusly their works are akin. All three poets use a great deal of surrealist images in their writings. Their poems also tend to include humor and witticisms.
Follower
Ron Padgett was a student of Koch’s while he studied creative writing at Wagner College. Padgett later became a poet and essayist of his own right. He was also a member of the New York School, and thusly embodied many of their principles in his writing. Like Koch, Padgett used surreal images in his writing, along with humor. Koch also encouraged Padgett to teaching poetry to children, which he did from 1969 until 1978.
1 comment:
Kenneth Koch is similar to my poet, Bill Knott. Actually I should say Knott is similar to Koch in that he also uses satire in work. And although Koch is part of the New York Movement, he also uses a lot of imagery, which Knott does expertly. Koch has been called the “spiritual father” of Bill Knott and although Knott might not agree, there is a likeness in their work.
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