ROBERT PENN WARREN AND THE POETIC AFTERLIFE

In the following discussion I plan to develop two meanings of the word Afterlife. First I shall consider Mr. Warren's poetic afterlife in the sense of his current reputation --that is, his status in the pantheon of American poets a decade after his death. Then, pursuant to that status, I propose to consider his approach to the afterlife within his poetry, a singular achievement of his poetic imagination that may help define his future status in American poetry. I shall take up these questions in turn.[Public lecture Presented at Western Kentucky University for Robert Penn Warren Center Celebration, 1998