The Hasidic context of nature and music in Denise Levertov’s Relearning the Alphabet
Abstract
This article presents an interpretation of the book of poetry Relearning the Alphabet, written by Denise Levertov in 1970, with references to the Hasidic tradition of perceiving nature and music. My interpretation focuses on the poet’s use of stories and symbols taken from the tradition of her ancestors and the way in which she employs them in her poems in order to emphasize the uniqueness of the world. Eclecticism is mentioned as it also contributes to Levertov’s spiritual development. The main thesis of my article is that the source of the poet’s sensitivity to the environment and music is derived from her Hasidic heritage.
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