The American Love Lyric After Auschwitz and Hiroshima

"The American Love Lyric After Auschwitz and Hiroshima" by Barbara L. Estrin offers a profound analysis of modern American love poetry in the context of the historical catastrophes of the 20th century. Estrin examines how significant American poets such as Wallace Stevens, Robert Lowell, and Adrienne Rich responded to the horrors of the Holocaust and the societal challenges of their time. Through precise text analyses and the application of gender and genre theories from renowned thinkers like Judith Butler and Jacques Lacan, Estrin questions the prevailing notion that lyrical poetry is politically isolated. This work provides a new, revisionist perspective on American poetry and illuminates the complex connections between personal expression and societal tragedies. It is an invitation to rethink and understand the role of poetry in engaging with historical and social issues.