Dikran Tahta (1910 – 1990) was an Armenian‑American literary scholar, poet, and professor of English literature, most prominently associated with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is noted for his contributions to modernist poetry criticism, particularly his analyses of Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, and other early 20th‑century poets.
Early life and education
Tahta was born in 1910 in the Ottoman Empire to an Armenian family. Following the upheavals of World War I and the Armenian Genocide, his family emigrated to the United States. He pursued higher education in the United States, earning a doctorate in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley.
Academic career
In 1945 Tahta joined the faculty of UCLA, where he taught courses in poetry, literary criticism, and modernist literature until his retirement in 1978. He served as a mentor to a generation of poets and scholars, and was recognized for his interdisciplinary approach that combined close textual analysis with broader cultural and philosophical contexts.
Major works
Tahta authored several influential books and articles, including:
- The Origin of the Poem (1967) – an exploration of the creative processes underlying poetic composition.
- The Poetry of Wallace Stevens (co‑edited with Robert F. Gish, 1975) – a critical anthology and commentary on Stevens’s oeuvre.
- The Language of Poetry (1979) – a study of linguistic techniques employed by modernist poets.
His essays appeared in journals such as The Southern Review, Poetry Magazine, and The Journal of Modern Literature.
Poetic activity
In addition to his scholarly output, Tahta wrote poetry that was published in literary magazines throughout the mid‑20th century. His verse often reflected themes of exile, memory, and the interplay between language and perception.
Legacy
Tahta’s critical methodology, emphasizing the interrelation of form, meaning, and cultural context, has continued to influence literary scholarship. The UCLA Department of English maintains a collection of his papers, including correspondence, lecture notes, and unpublished manuscripts, which are accessible to researchers.
References
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of English, “In Memoriam: Dikmar Tahta (1910‑1990).”
- Tahta, Dikran. The Origin of the Poem. New York: Harper & Row, 1967.
- Gish, Robert F., and Dikran Tahta, eds. The Poetry of Wallace Stevens. New York: Oxford University Press, 1975.