description Day by Day Overview
Day by Day is a poetry collection published in 1977 by American poet Robert Lowell, serving as his final book before his death. The collection is notable for its intimate, accessible style, featuring unrhymed sonnets and free verse that reflect on his later life, failing health, and personal relationships. Departing from the complex historical scope of his earlier works, the poems provide a raw, confessional look into his mortality and the quiet observations of his daily existence.
help Day by Day FAQ
What was happening in Robert Lowell's life when he wrote Day by Day?
The collection reflects Lowell's later years, including family memories, aging, illness, and his awareness of mortality. It appeared in 1977, shortly before his death that September.
Does Day by Day use traditional sonnet form?
Many poems resemble sonnets in scale and concentration, but Lowell generally avoids a strict rhyme scheme. The loose, conversational form suits the collection's autobiographical recollections and abrupt shifts in thought.
How does Day by Day differ from Lowell's Life Studies?
Life Studies helped establish Lowell's confessional reputation through sharply staged family and personal history. Day by Day is later, sparer, and more fragmentary, with an older speaker examining memory and impending death.
Did Day by Day win a major poetry award?
Yes. The collection received the 1978 National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry, awarded after Lowell's death.
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