Robert Penn Warren

This study emphasizes the shaping influence of the Southern heritage on Warren and the stimulus of his career afforded by his early association with the famous coterie of Southern writers, The Fugitives. This is the first book-length study to discuss systematically both the range of Warren's talents and the growth of his artistic development. The author argues that despite the variety of forms Warren has employed, his work is concerned with several underlying themes: the problem of evil, the meaning of history, the human penchant for violence, the search for self-knowledge, and the need for self-fulfillment. These themes Warren has returned to again and again, exploring them with a depth of perception and a richness of illustration that have placed him among the major literary figures of his time.