“No One Can Instruct You”

Abstract

This essay examines a critical moment in the poetic relationship of Denise Levertov and William Carlos Williams—the publishing of The Jacob’s Ladder (1961). It considers the scope of Williams’s influence on Levertov, as well as the ways that this collection signals a new spiritual and imaginative direction in her verse. After detailing the development of their friendship, the essay chronicles how the title poem of The Jacob’s Ladder challenged Williams’s understanding of Levertov’s poetics. It also considers the ways that Levertov’s response to Williams’s criticism marked a pivotal moment in her poetic development. Instead of pulling them apart, their exchanges about the poem deepened their appreciation for each other. In this way, the publication of The Jacob’s Ladder reveals Levertov’s connectedness to Williams, as well as her determination to chart a new direction in her work.