James Dickey was a prominent American poet and author, best known for his novel "Deliverance." He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and spent a year at Clemson University before enlisting in the military during World War II. After the war, he completed his degree at Vanderbilt University and began writing poetry. However, it wasn't until thirteen years later, after earning a master's degree and working in advertising, that Dickey became a full-time poet.
Dickey's poetry is known for its sweeping historical vision and eccentric style. He often explored the theme of primitive impulses and sensations suppressed by modern society, through the direct confrontation or surreal juxtaposition of nature and civilization. His early poems were influenced by Theodore Roethke and Hopkins, and generally employed rhyme and meter. With the publication of "Buckdancer's Choice" in 1965, Dickey left traditional formalism behind, developing a "split-line" technique to vary the rhythm and look of his poems.
In addition to his poetry, Dickey also wrote essays, criticism, and novels. His novel "Deliverance," published in 1970, was a bestseller and brought him fame not normally enjoyed by poets. He also wrote the script for the blockbuster movie based on the novel and made a cameo appearance. Dickey's work often explores the perspective of non-human creatures and attempts to fuse human and nature into a transcendental vision of wholeness. His acclaimed novel "Deliverance" continues and extends the preoccupations central to his verse, exposing the primitive urges at work in even "civilized" men.
Dickey's writing is characterized by its emotional attachment to the craft of poetry and its focus on extreme conditions and ultimate confrontation. His work often imagines the thoughts and feelings of characters in moments of violence and truth, as in the poem "Falling," which imagines the thoughts of an airline stewardess falling to her death. Dickey's writing is known for its energy and testifies to his capacity for rising out of habitual, half-lived life.