Review by Library Journal Review
British poet Armitage (Forward Prize winner) sets up an absurd situation then tells a story about it. The resulting prose poems assume a pleasing energy brought on by the rush of language. Armitage pumps up his lines with figures of sound, synesthesia, and silliness, as well as the occasional metaphor. His latest collection concerns an alternate universe where cliches become the ideas that inspired them. These are cartoonlike poems that discuss phrases such as "SPELL IT OUT," or "I want some space." One soon learns that very little makes sense in Armitage's world. In the title poem, someone, hit over the head because his remarks are misinterpreted, literally travels to outer space and sees planets and stars. Another poem, "The Christening," parodies this religious act in middle-school fashion and plays on the name "sperm whale." One can almost visualize poems like "Knowing What We Know Now," about the opportunity to grow younger, this one presented by an elf-probably one of the Rice Krispies triplets. VERDICT Playful, irreverent, and sometimes irrelevant, the poems can catch one up in their energetic whoosh of words.-Diane Scharper, Towson Univ., MD (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Library Journal Review
