Guide to the Parker Tyler Correspondence from Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams, 1930-1959


John Hay Library, Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Published in 2013

Collection Overview

Title: Parker Tyler Correspondence from Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams
Date range: 1930-1959
Creator: Tyler, Parker
Extent: 0.25 Linear feet (42 letters)
Abstract: The Parker Tyler Correspondence consists of forty-two letters from Ezra Pound (1885-1972) and William Carlos Williams (1883-1963), addressed to Parker Tyler, a young American poet and literary critic. This small but rich body of correspondence serves a dual function: it sheds light on Tyler's development and reputation as a writer; and, most importantly, it offers valuable insights into the personal lives and the poetic theories and techniques of two major figures in American literature.
Language of materials: English
Repository: John Hay Library, Special Collections
Collection number: Ms.79.13

Scope & content

The materials within the Parker Tyler Collection are divided into two chronologically-arranged series: one for the 14 letters of Pound and the second for the 28 pieces of correspondence from Williams.

The 14 Pound letters date from 1930-1937, and, while idiosyncratic in style and replete with obscure references, do contain information about the writer's personal life, his philosophy of literature, his economic and political theories, and his evaluation of contemporary poets such as T.S. Eliot and Wallace Stevens.

The 28 letters from Williams, in contrast, focus almost entirely on the poet's literary theories and on his analysis of his own and Tyler's growth as writers and critics. In particular, Williams discusses the development and future of American poetry, the roles that Eliot, Pound, and others have played in the development and future of American poetry, and his perceptions on how his own poetic style has evolved and may influence American literature as a whole.

Access Points

Subject Names Subject Topics Occupations Document Types Subject Topics

Arrangement

The collection is organized into two series:

  • Series 1. Correspondence from Ezra Pound
  • Series 2. Correspondence from William Carlos Williams

This collection is arranged chronologically within each series.

Biographical note

Parker Tyler was born in New Orleans in 1907 and began his career as a poet, biographer, and film and literary critic while still in his early twenties.

His poetry was first anthologized by Ezra Pound in 1933, and major works written during the thirty-year period which this collection covers include Three Examples of Love Poetry (1936), The Metaphor in the Jungle (1940), Yesterday's Children, with Pavel Tchelitchew (1944), and Charlie Chaplin (1947).

Tyler served as associate editor of View magazine during the 1940s and 1950s, and in 1958 received the Longview Award for his poetry. His more recent works have consisted of biographies and collections of film criticism, including a 1972 study of Charlie Chaplin.

He died in 1974.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can be seen only by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials: Brown University does not hold literary rights to this collection. Rights in the literary estate of Ezra Pound, including the materials in this collection, are held by the Ezra Pound Literary Property Trust, whose agent is New Directions Publishing. Similarly, the literary rights to all William Carlos Williams manuscripts reside with the heir(s) of his literary estate. Inquiries concerning permissions to publish, which it is the responsibility of the user to obtain, should be sent to the agent for the Pound trust or the heir(s) to Williams' literary estate.
Preferred citation: Parker Tyler Correspondence from Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams, Ms. 79.13, Brown University Library.
Contact information: John Hay Library, Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: The materials in this collection were given to Brown University by Parker Tyler in December 1963.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by Patricia J. Albright.
Encoding: This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013-11-22

Additional Information

Related material: Researchers who wish to study Tyler as a poet and critic are also referred to the substantial number of his writings, including several limited editions and a marked printer's copy of The Granite Butterfly, in the Harris Collection, Brown University Library.
Other information:

Inventory

Series 1. Correspondence from Ezra Pound, 1930-[1937?]
14.0 items

Container Description Date
Folder 1 Correspondence
3.0 items

Contents Note: Pound gives his opinion of the magazines Symposium and Pagany (25 December 1930). Defends writing article in Morada; describes life at Rapallo, Italy (17 Jan 1931).


Names:
Pound, Ezra

 1930-1931
Folder 2 Correspondence
6.0 items

Contents Note: Pound refers to inclusion of Tyler's poems from Profiles anthology (14 January). Criticizes contemporary poets, including Wallace Stevens and T.S. Eliot (14 January, 13-14 February, 19 March). Discusses poetry anthology he is about to edit for a London publisher; asks Tyler for poetry and suggestions (23 February). Announces receipt of poems by Tyler and Harold Rosenberg to be included in anthology (24 April).


Names:
Pound, Ezra

 1933
Folder 3 Correspondence
5.0 items

Contents Note: Broadside or proof of a published letter concerning "Volitionist Economics" (ca. 27 October 1934). Refers to Writers Union and Writer's Today publication (23 April, 13 May 1935). Criticizes Tyler's poem Arabesque (19 April [1937?]).


Names:
Pound, Ezra

 [ca. 1934]-1935, [1937?]

Series 2. Correspondence from William Carlos Williams, 1935-1959
28.0 items

Container Description Date
Folder 4 Correspondence
4.0 items

Contents Note: Williams praises Tyler's poetry (15 and 21 March, 4 June 1935). Salutes the "excellence and seriousness" of the younger poet's "craftsmanship" and compares Tyler's poetic concerns with his own (23 July 1936).


Names:
Williams, William Carlos

 1935-1936
Folder 5 Correspondence
6.0 items

Contents Note: Agrees to write an unidentified article for one of Tyler's books and discusses Pavel Tchelitchew's works (20 May 1937). Refers to publication of his article about H. H. Lewis in New Masses and unwillingness of Partisan Review to publish his poems (29 December 1937). Speaks of his current writings, including In the Money and poems to be published in the Laughlin pamphlet series (8 September 1940). Discusses Tyler's writing; feels that Tyler's poems are approaching his own in their "diamantine clarity" and makes unfavorable mention of T.S. Eliot's poetry (10 September 1940).


Names:
Williams, William Carlos

 1937-1938, 1940
Folder 6 Correspondence
4.0 items

Contents Note: Discusses a collection of literary criticism by Tyler; analyzes works and poetic flaws of Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot in detail and explains his view of the development and future of American poetry (1 July 1943). Mentions contents of and reaction to his article in Partisan Review criticising John Dewey's theory of the value of learning (28 December 1943). Offers favorable critique of Tyler's The Granite Butterfly (29 December 1945).


Names:
Williams, William Carlos

 1943, 1945
Folder 7 Correspondence
5.0 items

Contents Note: Feels that "American poetry has been sick since the popular stuff Elliot [sic] dumped on us"; sees end of "slump" approaching and is encouraged by Tyler's poems (5 January). Sends a "piece" to Tyler and asks him to edit the material as he wishes (9 January). Refers to the proposed publication of issue of Briarcliffe Quarterly devoted to his works (10 July).


Names:
Williams, William Carlos

 1946
Folder 8 Correspondence
5.0 items

Contents Note: Comments on complementary relationship between poetry and prose as forms of literature which do not need to be seperated as "Mr. Eliot might insist" (10 March). States that he will be discussing The Granite Butterfly in a series of Y.M.C.A. lectures (18 September; mss. notes added to letter in Tyler's hand). Criticizes Tyler's study of Chaplin (18, 22 September, and two "Sunday, 1948" letters).


Names:
Williams, William Carlos

 1948
Folder 9 Correspondence
4.0 items

Contents Note: Discusses his theory of poetry and his standards for his own works; analyzes modern French poetry (9 February 1949). States that most poets "are so damned intent on getting 'big' ideas in their verse that they are nothing but big wind bags writing conventional drivel" (22 February 1949). In reference to request from Tyler for contributions to article on neo-romanticist writers, asks if he has consulted Jack Kerouac and recommends poems of Naomi Hunter (24 January 1959).


Names:
Williams, William Carlos

 1949, 1959