Iron John

by Bly, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780306813764
• ISBN10: 0306813769
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-27
• Publisher: PERSEUS

Summary

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.Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale "Iron John," in which the narrator, or "Wild Man," guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.

Author Biography

Robert Bly is the author of many books of poetry. He is also a renowned translator, editor, and a founder of the Men's Movement. He lives in Minneapolis and in Moose Lake, Minnesota.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Da Capo Edition
Iron John After a Decade or So	ix
Preface to the Original Edition	xiii
ONE The Pillow and the Key	1	(27)
TWO When One Hair Turns Gold	28	(28)
THREE The Road of Ashes, Descent, and Grief	56	(36)
FOUR The Hunger for the King in a Time with No Father	92	(31)
FIVE The Meeting with the God-Woman in the Garden	123	(23)
SIX To Bring the Interior Warriors Back to Life	146	(34)
SEVEN Riding the Red, the White, and the Black Horses	180	(27)
EIGHT The Wound by the King's Men	207	(31)
PILOGUE The Wild Man in Ancient Religion, Literature, and Folk Life	238	(12)
The Story of Iron John	250	(10)
Notes	260