Original James Dickey Class Notes on D.H. Lawrence, Robert Graves, and E.E. Cummings.

This article presents a detailed transcription and commentary on James Dickey's lectures from 1974–1975 at the University of South Carolina, focusing on the poets and writers D. H. Lawrence, Robert Graves, and E. E. Cummings. Dickey characterizes Lawrence as a prophetic figure emphasizing irrationality, feeling, and a unity with nature, while acknowledging his complex personality and mixed critical reception. Graves is portrayed as an eccentric, historically learned poet with a strong dedication to poetry but marked by literary jealousy and controversial opinions. Cummings is described as a poet with a strong lyrical sensibility and affinity for visual form, notable for his insistence on personal authenticity and his ability to write both traditional and experimental poetry. The lectures provide insight into each writer's significance, style, and influence from Dickey's perspective as a poet and scholar.