The Snake-Haired Muse: James K. Baxter and Classical Myth

Contending that James K. Baxters use of Greek myth is close to the heart of his poetic vision, this book draws on the subjects entire career, mounting the first-ever sustained investigation of his vast corpus of unpublished poems. Baxters mythic figures and ambiguous symbols are explored, to which he repeatedly returned in his attempts to establish patterns out of the chaos of his experiences. Among the figures discussed in detail are the seaborn Venus; Dionysus, the liberating and destructive god of alcohol; the alienated voyager Odysseus; Theseus in his political labyrinth; and the hideous Gorgonwho also functions as the poets dangerous muse. Illuminating the complexity, adventurousness, imaginative energy, and unexpected wit of Baxters dealings with classical mythology, this volume sheds a new light on New Zealands most iconic poet. A comprehensive Whos Who in Baxters work and a detailed bibliography are also included.