Spender Dislikes Printed Revision Of His Poem, Prefers the Original

Poet Stephen Spender and two critics disagreed last night on published revisions of his poem "Shapes of Death Haunt Life" in the featured half of his Poet's Theatre reading.

After two critics had praised the revised version of the poem, Spender said he thought it was much less poetic. "I feel it's not alive," he added. "I'll revise it again and we'll have another reading."

"I should think the critics will say that I have ruined the poem. They have a rather good case," Spender had said before reading his new version. But John M. Brinning of the New York City Poetry Center disagreed. "Mr. Spender's show of apprehension about the revisions is touching but false," he said.

"Spender's attempt to make the poem more explicit is courageous," added Edwin Honig, Briggs-Copeland Professor of English.

Last night's appearance was one stop for Spender in an extended visit to the United States that has been featured by many readings. Spender enjoys reading his poems before American audiences, which he says "are interested" and "pleased or surprised if you don't appear on the stage drunk."

Spender's poetry was first published in 1930 when he was at Oxford. He was a member of the group of "new poets" that also included W. H. Auden and Louis MacNeice. His most recent books are an autobiography, "World Within World," and a volume of collected poems published this year.