Who is Kenneth Patchen

Kenneth Patchen (December 13, 1911 – January 8, 1972) was an American poet and novelist. He experimented with different forms of writing and incorporated painting, drawing, and jazz music into his works, which have been compared with those of William Blake and Walt Whitman. Patchen's biographer wrote that he "developed in his fabulous fables, love poems, and picture poems a deep yet modern mythology that conveys a sense of compassionate wonder amidst the world's violence." Along with his friend and peer Kenneth Rexroth, he was a central influence on the San Francisco Renaissance and the Beat Generation.

Early years

Background

Patchen was born in Niles, Ohio. His father, Wayne, worked in the nearby steel mills of Youngstown, which Patchen would ref...
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Kenneth Patchen Poems

  • Pastoral
    The Dove walks with sticky feet
    Upon the green crowns of the almond tree,
    Its feathers smeared over with warmth
    Like honey ...
  • We Go Out Together In The Staring Town
    We go out together into the staring town
    And buy cheese and bread and little jugs with
    flowered labels
    ...
  • As We Are So Wonderfully Done With Each Other
    As we are so wonderfully done with each other
    We can walk into our separate sleep
    On floors of music where the milkwhite cloak of childhood lies
    ...
  • Do The Dead Know What Time It Is?
    The old guy put down his beer.
    Son, he said,
    (and a girl came over to the table where we were:
    asked us by Jack Christ to buy her a drink.) ...
  • The Slums
    That should be obvious
    Of course it won't
    Any fool knows that.
    Even in the winter. ...
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Top 10 most used topics by Kenneth Patchen

World 11 Sleep 10 Earth 9 God 9 I Love You 7 Beautiful 7 Love 7 Green 7 Heaven 6 Sky 6


Kenneth Patchen Quotes

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Comments about Kenneth Patchen

Krumbbumm: kenneth patchen - “irkalla’s white caves”
_illrene: vol. 3 of plastic language airs at 1am on
Ezrafurman: as kenneth patchen once titled a collection, "hallelujah anyway" nyc and beyond, tune in to hear trans jewish women talk about joy in a scary time for trans people
Johnnyglucose: "everything everywhere...." (picture poem by kenneth patchen)
Cliohcorvid: gentle and giving--all the rest is treason. -- kenneth patchen
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Poem of the day

Isaac Watts Poem
Psalm 119 Part 10
 by Isaac Watts

Pleading the promises.

ver. 38,49

Behold thy waiting servant, Lord,
Devoted to thy fear;
Remember and confirm thy word,
For all my hopes are there.
...

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