 Cover of 1960 paperback edition | |
| Author | Robert Lax |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Charles Harbutt |
| Language | English |
| Genre | American Poetry |
| Publisher | Journeyman Press |
Publication date | 1959 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 50 (first edition, paperback) |
| OCLC | 801297711 |
"The Circus of the Sun" is a poem by American poet Robert Lax (1915–2000). First published in 1959 by Journeyman Press[1][2] it consists of a cycle of 31 short poems that tell the story of a traveling circus. The poem is included in the collections: 33 Poems (1987), Love Had a Compass (1997), and Circus Days and Nights (2000).
The poem follows a day in the life of a circus as they arrive in a new town, set up, rehearse, perform and take down the circus. It is arranged according to the phases of the day (morning, afternoon, evening, the midway, and night) which deliberately align with the canonical hours[3] and the title alludes to the song written by Francis of Assisi, "Canticle of the Sun."[4] Lax used his own experience traveling with the Cristiani Brothers Circus, where he would sometimes perform as a clown[5] as inspiration for the poem. In writing about the circus Lax is able to write about theological ideas of creation[6] and Christian allegory.[7]
Widely considered his best poem it marks the conclusion of the early, lyrical phase[8] of Lax's career before he started writing experimental, minimalist poetry.
- ^ "Conversations.org: Remembering Robert Lax—A Conversation with Steve Georgiou, by Richard Whittaker". www.conversations.org. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
- ^ Spaeth, Paul (2006). "Lax Circus Chronology" (PDF). Robert Lax Archives. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ Ziolkowski, Jan (2018). The Juggler of Notre Dame and the Medievalizing of Modernity. Volume 6: War and Peace, Sex and Violence. Open Books Publishers. p. 118. ISBN 9781783745395.
- ^ Levertov, Denis (October 14, 1961). "Poets of the Given Ground". The Nation: 251–253.
- ^ Packard, William (1986). "Interview with Robert Lax". The New York Quarterly.
- ^ "Bard of God's Circus". Plough. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
- ^ "A Pocket Epic & The Hermit Poet: A Review of Robert Lax's Poems 1962-1997 & Lorine Niedecker's Lake Superior --- David Wojahn". Numéro Cinq. 2014-06-16. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- ^ Spaeth, Paul (1999). "Robert Lax: An Overview of His Life and Work". The ABCs of Robert Lax: 117–131.