Archives by Tag 'Poetry'
Review: ‘Death of a Naturalist’ by Seamus Heaney
Despite my resolution to read more poetry this year I don’t seem to have achieved that aim terribly well. Probably because I can’t read poetry on the train as I find poems tend to be too short for me not to become distracted by what’s going on around me. I also find that poetry requires a different type [...]
‘A Flower Wedding’ by Walter Crane
Since the Old English Thorn and I finally became engaged the summer before last I have acquired a small stack of wedding themed books. Most of it is of the fun and frothy, pastel covered, predictably plotted variety (which I’m actually rather looking forward to reading), but I have picked up a few more unusual [...]
‘Wolfwatching’ by Ted Hughes
If you were to ask me to name my favourite poet, I would have a very hard time naming just one, as I read different people for different things. I read Robert Browning for his amazing dramatic monologues; John Donne for his fiery passion, whether holy or secular; W. B. Yeats for his mysticism and [...]
‘The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy’ by Tim Burton
I’ve always been quite a fan of Tim Burton’s films: I enjoy the way that he combines the bizarre, the grotesque and the macabre with the sweet, the innocent and the childlike. His twisted, gothic sense of humour appeals to me immensley and so I was really pleased when I discovered that he had written a [...]
‘Christmas Please!’ ed. Douglas Brooks-Davies
Title: Author: ed. Douglas Brooks-Davies. Illustrated by Dovrat Ben-Nahum Published: Phoenix, 2000, pp. 221. First edition Genre: Poetry Blurb: Here, in this beautifully illustrated anthology, is the spirit of Christmas in one hundred poems. When, where and why: I was given this book for Christmas many years ago, but somehow never got around to reading [...]
Review: ‘Christmas Crackers for Cats’ by Julie and John Hope
Title: Author: Julie and John Hope. Illustrated by Sue Hellard Published: Bantam, 2000, pp. 32. First edition Genre: Humour poetry Blurb: This is a collection of limericks featuring cats and their antics, beautifully illustrated by Sue Hellard. You can learn your cat’s views on life—from why they lust hungrily after your pet canary to the art [...]
Review: ‘Christmas Carols for Cats’ by Julie and John Hope
Title: Author: Julie and John Hope. Illustrated by Sue Hellard Published: Bantam Books, 1998, pp. 29. Originally published 1996 Genre: Humour poetry Blurb: A witty, charming treasury of traditional Christmas carols -rewritten by cats for cats – includes such classics as “The Twelve Days of Catmas,” “We Wish for the Fam’ly Goldfish,” and “Bark! The [...]
Review: ‘Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis’ by Wendy Cope
Wendy Cope is very clever. She’s good at taking much of what poetry holds dear and pricking its balloon. Her humour is an acquired taste and one short poem from “Strugnell’s Haiku” sets the tone of this volume, first published in 1986, to great popular acclaim. “The leaves have fallen / And the snow has [...]