Waking in the Blue
Encyclopedia
'Waking in the Blue' is a poem by Robert Lowell
that was published in his book Life Studies
and is a striking, early example of confessional poetry. Of the handful of poems from Life Studies in which Lowell explored his struggles with mental illness
, this poem was one of Lowell's most forthwright admissions that he had serious mental problems. Though he doesn't discuss the exact nature of his mental illness in the poem, he does describe his hospitalization in a mental institution. Lowell's admission of having spent time in a mental institution was a brave one to make since, when he published the poem in 1959, public disclosure about mental illness was a serious social taboo.
while at the McLean Hospital
in Belmont
near Boston
. The title of that first draft was "To Ann Adden (Written during the first week of my voluntary stay at McLean's Mental Hospital)". Ann Adden was a "psychiatric fieldworker" whom he had met while he was a patient at the Boston Psychopathic Hospital
the previous year. In a manic state, Lowell became temporarily convinced that he was in love with her.
The first draft was formally loose. However, the final draft was 25 lines shorter and in places rhyme and snatches of regular meter were introduced to tighten up the poem.
Robert Lowell
Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV was an American poet, considered the founder of the confessional poetry movement. He was appointed the sixth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress where he served from 1947 until 1948...
that was published in his book Life Studies
Life Studies
Life Studies is the fourth book of poems by Robert Lowell. Most critics consider it one of Lowell's most important books, and the Academy of American Poets named it one of their Groundbreaking Books. The book won the National Book Award for poetry in 1960.-Publication:Life Studies was first...
and is a striking, early example of confessional poetry. Of the handful of poems from Life Studies in which Lowell explored his struggles with mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, this poem was one of Lowell's most forthwright admissions that he had serious mental problems. Though he doesn't discuss the exact nature of his mental illness in the poem, he does describe his hospitalization in a mental institution. Lowell's admission of having spent time in a mental institution was a brave one to make since, when he published the poem in 1959, public disclosure about mental illness was a serious social taboo.
Composition
Lowell wrote the first draft of the poem at the end of January 19581958 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* Brazilian manifesto for concrete poetry, which focuses on visual and other sensory qualities...
while at the McLean Hospital
McLean Hospital
McLean Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts.It is noted for its clinical staff expertise and ground-breaking neuroscience research...
in Belmont
Belmont, Massachusetts
Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census.- History :Belmont was founded on March 18, 1859 by former citizens of, and land from the bordering towns of Watertown, to the south; Waltham, to the west; and Arlington, then...
near Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. The title of that first draft was "To Ann Adden (Written during the first week of my voluntary stay at McLean's Mental Hospital)". Ann Adden was a "psychiatric fieldworker" whom he had met while he was a patient at the Boston Psychopathic Hospital
Boston Psychopathic Hospital
The Boston Psychopathic Hospital was the first mental health hospital in Massachusetts, USA.-History of the establishment:In November 1909 the site for the hospital was purchased on Fenwood Road, 5 minutes' walk from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Elmer E. Southard was appointed director of the...
the previous year. In a manic state, Lowell became temporarily convinced that he was in love with her.
The first draft was formally loose. However, the final draft was 25 lines shorter and in places rhyme and snatches of regular meter were introduced to tighten up the poem.
Cultural references
- The Meaning of MeaningThe Meaning of MeaningAlthough the original text was published in 1923 it has been used as a textbook in many fields including linguistics, philosophy, language, cognitive science and most recently semantics. The book has been in print continuously since 1923. The most recent edition is the critical edition prepared...
is a book by the literary theorists I. A. RichardsI. A. RichardsIvor Armstrong Richards was an influential English literary critic and rhetorician....
and C. K. Ogden. - The Porcellian ClubPorcellian ClubThe Porcellian Club is a men's-only final club at Harvard University, sometimes called the Porc or the P.C. The year of founding is usually given as 1791, when a group began meeting under the name "the Argonauts," or as 1794, the year of the roast pig dinner at which the club, known first as "the...
at Harvard.