The House of Dust: A Symphony

by Conrad AIKEN (1889 - 1973)

Part 02

The House of Dust:  A Symphony

The House of Dust is a poem written in the four-movement format of a classical symphony. Hauntingly beautiful despite its bleak post-World War I depictions of human mortality and loss, the poem develops its movements around central images such as Japanese ukiyo-e ("floating world") woodblock prints, touching the reader's senses with endlessly evocative allusions to wind, sea, and weather. In this underlying Japanese sensibility and dependence on central perceptual images, Aiken's poem is similar to poetry of Imagists of the time such as Amy Lowell. Also deeply influenced by the concepts of modern psychology, Aiken delved deeply into individual human identity and emotion. - Summary by Expatriate


Listen next episodes of The House of Dust: A Symphony:
Part 03 , Part 04