Portrait of a Writing Master: Beyond the Myth of Marianne Moore

Abstract

Among the many odd animals found in Marianne Moore's poetry, perhaps the most surprising is a dragon. Equally surprising is Moore's uncharacteristically straightforward admission that she would like to be a dragon, silkworm size or immense, perhaps almost invisible but a decidedly felicitous phenomenon. That dragon is a clue to the person behind the tame exterior which Marianne Moore constructed for herself by means of her poetry. As the centennial of Moore's birth approaches and critics begin to reassess her work, the importance of the dragon must emerge. Unlike the unicorn-equally fabulous but shrouded in mystery, and symbolic of meditative companionship-the dragon is a fighter, a serpent, and in mythic terms, an insatiable warrior. It is surprising, therefore, that some of Moore's critics have for so long treated her as a decorative oddity rather than as an active, perhaps even dangerous force. To a great extent, the blame for this misperception lies with Moore herself. Discussion of the origin of the misleading myth of Marianne Moore and its history is the concern of this essay. Moore's poetry itself is the source of the myth. New Criticism is the agent of its installation as fact. But Moore provides evidence which exposes and counteracts the myth. Part of this evidence is Moore's own private papers and letters which have only recently been made available. They reveal Moore's methodical ambition and unshakable determination, and show that her discipline was tempered by humorous irony. The portraits Moore's friends drew in their memoirs of the period provide other evidence which reinforces