Iron john a book about men by robert bly poet

A book about men the inner boy in a messedup family may keep on being shamed, invaded, disappointed, and paralyzed for years and years. Robert bly, a pioneer of the mmm, found that the industrial revolution was to blame, as it left boys without proper father figures to help usher them into manhood fox. Iron john a book about men by robert bly addisonwesley. A book about men, and the sibling society, and more on. Poet, author, and thoughtleader robert bly turned 90 on friday, december 23 rd. Iron john by robert bly, 9780306824265, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. A book about men 1990, bly argues that modern men are greatly damaged by an absence of intergenerational male role models and initiation rituals. Bly s vision is based on his ongoing work with men, as well as on reflections on. Here, using the grimm fairy tale iron john as a vehicle, bly explores the myths and cultural underpinnings of a distinctly vigorous male mode of feeling, a. In this timeless and deeply learned classic, poet and translator robert bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it means to be a man.

In addition to being one of our finest poets, robert bly has, over the last 10 years, inspired. It is a wonderfully written, and very poignant tome about the critical journey that all men must become aware of if they are to be successful in their world. He lives in minneapolis and in moose lake, minnesota. I think the most vital part of the book is the iron john story that is in the back of the book. Robert bly is the poet of minnesota, vietnam and mythical. Poet and author associated with the mythopoetic men s movement and known for iron john. Whats missing in modern man iron john by robert bly. Theres something wonderful about men welcoming their own feminine consciousness and yet i have the sense that there is something wrong. He frequently does workshops for men with james hillman and others, and workshops for men and women with marion woodman. Bly is also a translator of scandinavian literature, such as twenty poems of tomas transtromer. Bly has received many awards, including the national book award, for his poetry in 20, he was awarded the poetry society of americas robert frost medal, a lifetime achievement award. Iron john quotes by robert bly goodreads share book. Published in 1990, it became an international bestseller and sparked what became known as. Bly has received many awards, including the national book.

Bly s vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. Then there is bly the political poet of the vietnam war years. A book about men 1990, a response to the womens movement, bly has been immensely popular, appearing on talk shows and advising men to retrieve their primitive masculinity through wildness. His resulting book about this ageold story helped establish the mens movement, and his seminars inspired its drum. His name will be forever associated with the mythopoetic men s movement, a looselyknit group of men, scattered. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, bly uses the grimm fairy tale iron john in which a mentor or wild man guides a young man through eight stages of male growthto remind us of ways of knowing long forgotten, images of deep and vigorous masculinity centered in feeling and protective of the young. His 1967 poetry collection, the light around the body, received the national book award in 1968. But that very identification with victimhood keeps the soul house open and available for still more invasions. Whats missing in modern man iron john by robert bly youtube. He casts a penetrating light on these male life stages, describing complications that arise, for example, when a boy skips the red and goes directly to the white. Blys book on male initiation and the role of the mentor, the result of ten years work with men to discover the truths about masculinity that get beyond the stereotypes of our popular culture. Robert bly is an american poet, essayist, activist and leader of the mythopoetic mens movement.

In this deeply learned book, poet and translator robert bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man. How poet robert bly unleashed iron john and started the. He is a prolific author who has published more than 30 books of poetry, edited a magazine to introduce foreign poets to an english audience, and given workshops on masculinity based on his book iron john. A book about men is a book by american poet robert bly featuring a parable about a boy maturing into adulthood with help of the wild man. He attended harvard university and the iowa writers workshop. Why iron john is no gift to women the new york times. A book about men, he suggests that the solution to the loss of masculinity is for men to look within themselves and do soul searching through the. A book about men 1990, reprinted 2001 as iron john. Iron john 3e editie is een boek van robert bly uitgegeven bij ingram publisher services us. For the light around the body he won the 1968 national book award for poetry. Bly s vision is based on his ongoing work with men, as well as on reflections on his own life. An exegesis of iron john, a parable about a boy maturing into adulthood with help of the wild man, and part of the grimms fairy tales published in 1812 by german folklorists brothers grimm, it spent 62 weeks on the new york times best seller list and went on to become a pioneering work in the mythopoetic mens movement. Young men need initiation into adulthood, to be welcomed among the fathers of the world, or they rage and sulk alone through life. Theres something wonderful about men welcoming their own feminine consciousness and yet i have the sense that there is something.

Robert bly was born on december 23, 1926, in madison, minnesota. His resulting book about this ageold story helped establish the men s movement, and his seminars inspired its drumbeating, treehugging stereotype. Iron john is a book that i recommend as a counselor for both men, and woman read. Four things we owe to robert bly the good men project. See all books authored by robert bly, including iron john. Iron john derives its title from a grimms fairy tale, whose prolonged exegesis by bly forms the spine of his book. Recent books of poetry include what have i ever lost by dying. A book about men, was a best seller, and bly became a guru of the men s movement. After his political and antiwar poetry, bly turned to the selfhelp or human potential movement. Written by the poet robert bly, its an odd journey through the archetypal psychic development of men in western culture, focusing on the uses of and need for initiation rites and spiritual life, and a jungian interpretation of the fairy tale iron john. One is the poet of pure lyrics like the ones i have quoted. He won the 1968 national book award for poetry for his book the light around the body. Bly describes the three necessary and sequential life phases symbolized by three colors the red, white and black, in the grimm brothers fairy tale iron john.

A book about men 1990, which spent 62 weeks on the the new york times best seller list. In his book, iron john 1990, bly expresses the mood and wisdom of cultural creative men 19701990 who. The tale, about a boys growth to manhood, is a wonderful one that lives up to blys billing though, as we shall see, he spoils it with a reductive interpretation. A book about men is a book by american poet robert bly published in 1990 by addisonwesley, and is his bestknown work. Iron john 1990 robert bly robert bly is a wellrespected american poet. Robert bly born december 23, 1926 is an american poet, author, activist and leader of the mythopoetic mens movement, most famous for his iron john. Bly s vision is based on his ongoing work with men. Robert bly was born in western minnesota, and attended harvard university and the university of iowa. Bly has received many awards, including the national book award, for his poetry. Best known as the author of the bestseller, iron john, which launched a million men drumming in the woods, bly has been celebrated, vilified, but above all persisted in championing the power and importance of poetry in todays america. A book about men, which spent 62 weeks on the new york times best seller list, and is a key text of the mythopoetic mens movement. Robert bly is a poet, author, translator, activist, and leader of the mythopoetic men s movement. A book about men the 25th anniversary edition of the groundbreaking new york times bestseller, with a new afterword by the authorwhich offers a new vision of what it is to be a manin this timeless and deeply learned classic, poet and translator robert.

A book about men is a book by american poet robert bly featuring a parable about a boy maturing into adulthood with help of the. Drawing upon jungian psychology, myth, legend, folklore, and fairy tales the title is. Bly had been giving talks on mythology to supplement his income, and found that the brothers grimm tale iron john hit a nerve with men. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male. That introspection led to blys most famous book a nonfiction work called iron john. A book about men is an international bestseller which has been translated into many languages. As a poet, editor, and translator, bly has had a profound impact on the shape of american poetry. A book about men paperback 2 aug 2001 by robert bly author. Robert bly books list of books by author robert bly. Robert bly is a poet, author, translator, activist, and leader of the mythopoetic mens movement.