A glossary of chickens : poems / Gary J. Whitehead.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Whitehead, Gary J.

Series:

Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets

Princeton series of contemporary poets

Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets ; 62

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

American poetry.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (67 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

With skillful rhetoric and tempered lyricism, the poems in A Glossary of Chickens explore, in part, the struggle to understand the world through the symbolism of words. Like the hens of the title poem, Gary J. Whitehead's lyrics root around in the earth searching for sustenance, cluck rather than crow, and possess a humble majesty. Confronting subjects such as moral depravity, nature's indifference, aging, illness, death, the tenacity of spirit, and the possibility of joy, the poems in this collection are accessible and controlled, musical and meditative, imagistic and richly figurative. They are informed by history, literature, and a deep interest in the natural world, touching on a wide range of subjects, from the Civil War and whale ships, to animals and insects. Two poems present biblical narratives, the story of Lot's wife and an imagining of Noah in his old age. Other poems nod to favorite authors: one poem is in the voice of the character Babo, from Herman Melville's Benito Cereno, while another is a kind of prequel to Emily Dickinson's "She rose to His Requirement." As inventive as they are observant, these memorable lyrics strive for revelation and provide their own revelations.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Oyster

I.

The Wimp

Lot's Wife

Spice Rack

Sourdough

Luminescent Jellyfish

Somebody Throws It In

The Slip

Trap Door

Ow l Pellet I Show My Students

One-Legged Pigeon

II.

A Glossary of Chickens

Sleeping with My Dog

Warren

Pastoral

Stupid

Tied Dog

Letter Written in Pokeberry Ink

Homeschooled

Babo Speaks from Lima

III.

Slaveship

Melville Passing

First Prospective

The Coop

Death Watches

In the Butterfly Conservatory

Drosophila melanogaster

Uncle

Ararat

Some Notes

Acknowledgments

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 08. Jul 2019)

ISBN:

9781400845965

1400845963

9781299149113

1299149111

OCLC:

827212604