Guy Davenport

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One of the great essayists of our time, the erudite Guy Davenport, who during the last 40 years of his life spent most of his time in rural Kentucky: Nov. 23, 1927 - 2005… Davenport has also created some of the most relevant translations from classical Greek, esp. of Heraclitus and Sappho. In addition to his work with non-fiction and translation he wrote poetry, short stories and created visual art (often illustrating his own books). Above: A small excerpt from The Resurrection in Cookham Churchyard, Poetry, 1963 This poem details the manner of resurrection of a large number of notable personages, including the following: Christina Rosetti: English Pre-Raphaelite poet Ludwig Wittgenstein: Austrian philosopher playing language games Søren Kierkegaard: Danish existentialist philosopher Raphael Pumpelly: American geologist and explorer Hugh Miller: Scottish geologist and folklorist Johannes Brahms: German composer Octave Maus: Belgian art critic and writer Roger Casement: Irish nationalist and humanitarian, executed for treason by the Brits 

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Sir Stanley Spencer: The Resurrection, Cookham, 1924-7 - Oil paint on canvas (The Tate) The painting that inspired Guy Davenport’s poem cited above: “The Resurrection in Cookham Churchyard”…


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