Compass Card: One Hundred VillanellesThe one hundred poems in this volume explore the formal as well as mimetic possibilities of the villanelle. Among subjects, music and art are prominent. There are cycles of poems in homage to Bach, Mozart, the renaissance German sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider, the late Joseph Brodsky, and one of the startling minds of the 20th century, Arthur Koestler. The poems aim at being an experience in sound, but they also invite us to think. Problems of perception are broached, and social and political comment is by no means absent. Song and comment reach one of their peaks in Exemplary Tale (no.67), a poem on two young people in love, one a Croat, the other a Serb, talented opera singers and both dedicating themselves to working toward a more peaceful future. |
Common terms and phrases
altar angels Arms Arthur Koestler Bach beauty bring Chapel child close collection comes Dante dark dream earth English eyes face fame farm feel Figaro fugue Garden give glass golden graceful grow hammer hand heard heart hold hour human imagine It's Joseph keyboard King known late learned light listen living Look Martin Master Master Tilman mean Michigan Milton mind mirror morning Mother mountain lion mourning never night performance plain play poem question rain ring sacred Saint scene score secret serious sight silent sing singers sleep slowly song soul sound spirit stand stars stone tale tell Temple There's Think thought Tilman told tone translation turned University VILLANELLE voice whole wood yield York young