The Fugitives were an influential literary group that began at Vanderbilt University in the 1920s. Although the philosophically driven alliance was short-lived, two of its members, John Crowe Ransom and Allen Tate, went on to become influential Southern poets and theorists.
In this work, a self-proclaimed third-generation Fugitive-Agrarian concentrates on the history and mystery of nature. The author supports the recovery of fundamental principles required for the economic, social and political health of our communities. He explores Fugitive-Agrarian concepts of nature, history, science, industry, person, family and community. His discussion focuses particular attention on John Crowe Ransom and Allen Tate and how they diverged in their philosophies of intellect and the written word.

The late Marion Montgomery was professor emeritus of English at the University of Georgia. In 2003, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute honored Montgomery with the Gerhart Niemeyer Award for Distinguished Contributions to Scholarship in Liberal Arts. He lived in Crawford, Georgia.

Marion Montgomery
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 151
Bibliographic Info: notes, index
Copyright Date: 2003
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1435-2
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

I. The Setting Forth      17
II. Of Children and Kittens      26
III. Getting at the Truth: The Nature of Intellect in Act      33
IV. The Mystery of Nature and the Brooding Breast of Love      43
V. Of Natural Rights and Natural Law: A Speculative Beginning      50
VI. The Problem of Getting to Know Natural Rights from Natural Law      58
VII. Concerning the Impieties of Aberrant Will      66
VIII. Loving the South, at a Growing Distance      74
IX. The Specialization of Applied Prosody      90
X. Angelism and the Poet’s Made World      100
XI. Ownership vs. Stewardship: Signposts at the Parting of Ways      111
XII. The “Cranky” Distinction Between Poetry and Religion      122

Afterword      137
Notes      143
Index      149

“taking as his starting point a philosophical antagonism between Ranson and Tate, Montgomery explores such problems as the power of ‘well-ordered words’ and an individual’s ‘essential unity of intellect’ in relation to the creator and creation”—American Literature; “engaging…readers…will be rewarded in reading [Montgomery]”—Modern Age; “I regard Marion Montgomery as one of the most acute and profound criticis of present-day American culture. He brings to his discussion of it penetrating insight and solid scholarship.”—Cleanth Brooks.