In June 1959, Elizabeth Hardwick expressed concerns to Allen Tate about her husband Robert Lowell’s recent mental health struggles, highlighting the personal impact of dealing with someone who is mentally ill. These themes are central in Robert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire, where Kay Redfield Jamison challenges Ian Hamilton’s 1982 biography of Lowell that portrayed the poet’s manic depression in a clinical manner. Jamison, a respected psychiatrist who openly shares her own battles with mental illness, presents her book not as a biography but as a deep dive into the psychological aspects of Robert Lowell’s life. With access to Lowell’s medical records, Jamison provides a detailed exploration of his lifelong battle with mania and depression, focusing on the narrative of his illness.
“Madness is often sensationalized but its true horror is more insidious and corrosive,” Jamison reflects. She humanizes Lowell’s struggles with manic depression, portraying him as a man overwhelmed by inner turmoil he couldn’t control, oscillating between destructive manic episodes and periods of remorseful stability. In his manic states, Lowell engaged in erratic behaviors like threatening Allen Tate and believing he was Christ, juxtaposed with his sane moments where he exhibited love towards his family and appreciation for nature. Jamison’s portrayal of Lowell is more empathetic and introspective compared to Hamilton’s depiction. She aims to distinguish and absolve the rational Lowell from the chaotic episodes of his mental illness.
Helen Vendler recalled Lowell joking about the ineffectiveness of therapy in curing him, acknowledging that it played a role in his creative process, particularly in the creation of Life Studies. Jamison, known for her research on the link between mania and creativity, supports Vendler’s observations with psychiatric evidence. She delves into how mental illness was prevalent in Lowell’s ancestry and influenced the literature of New England, shedding light on how mania impacted Lowell’s thought process and writing style. Jamison also suggests that Lowell’s periods of depression influenced his revising habits, indicating that the critical nature of depression played a role in refining his work.
Criticism is notably absent in Jamison’s narrative as Lowell is praised consistently, likened to Odysseus navigating through turbulent waters. While Jamison commends Lowell for his support of women writers, there are accounts of his discriminatory behavior towards female poets such as referring to them as “minor.” The book hints at Lowell’s privilege and support network as factors that aided in his resilience compared to other poets like Sylvia Plath and John Berryman. Despite acknowledging the crucial role of Elizabeth Hardwick in Lowell’s life, the book primarily focuses on Lowell’s mental health struggles, sidelining other aspects of his personal and literary relationships. Jamison’s work, although limited in scope, stands as a significant psychological analysis of Lowell’s life. Robert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire represents a groundbreaking contribution to understanding Robert Lowell, offering a necessary reevaluation. As Hardwick aptly put it, “He was not crazy all the time—most of the time he was wonderful. The breakdowns were not the whole story.”
