In 2019 I reviewed Mary Oliver's "A Poetry Handbook" where I said: Over the years I have acquired a few books of poetry, mainly by my favourite writers. However, in the main I have struggled with the modern poets: Larkin, Pinter even Muriel Spark. Although the last of these is better known as a novelist she says "I have always thought of myself as a poet".
I started on her book of "Complete Poems" a while ago and gave up. But a couple of weeks ago I found it languishing on a shelf and picked it up. I started where I had left off, halfway through, and read two poems a day. That worked quite well as I could concentrate on those which I liked. Here are the eleven I picked from the 79 poems in the book.
Going up to Sotheby's
I guess this is free verse, but for once it's completely fine. A tiny story about an old manuscript.
Complaint in Wash-Out Season
All that rain in April is given a dressing down. "Call off this protracted intransigent deluge, it's hackneyed".
Fruitless Fable
A simple rhyming poem about a tea machine!
The Empty Space
Free verse but wonderful. A picture has been removed. By whom? It was a scene in Rome.
Hats
Short but sweet. "I was writing a poem about hats. Hats for a garden party, hats for a wet day, hats for a wedding party, a memorial service" and so on.
While flicking over the pages
A strange title that refers to looking through "Who's who". Finding an educated man, a celebrated first novel, but reduced to being just a critic.
Victoria Falls
Another short poem, but I liked the description of how the quiet Zambezi river gradually becomes violently loud.
Conversation piece
What it would be like to leave all your problems and just have a brand new set. Interesting free verse.
The Card Party
A simple rhyming poem with a twist.
Evelyn Cavallo
A character from a book, some words on a grave:" this person never came to pass .....".
Bluebell among the Sables
"No need for alarm - those dead pelts can't cause Bluebell (the cat) any harm.
No comments:
Post a Comment