‘Being Human’ is the follow up volume, and just as big at 500-odd pages. Again the poems are gathered together within themed chapters such as ‘Being and Loss,’ a wonderful group many of which describe the consequences of illness and the terrible changes such an experience can bring to a life. Other headings include ‘Men and Women,’ ‘Exploring the World’ and ‘Taste and See.’ In fact, there are ten sections in all.

The very first poem in the book is a great introduction. ‘This poem…’ by Elma Mitchell reads like a government health warning about poetry. It warns the reader that this poem is dangerous, and should not be left “within reach of children, or even of adults / Who might swallow it whole, with possibly / Undesirable side-effects.” In fact this poem is so dangerous, the poet advises that if the reader comes across it in a public place, they ought not to tackle it themselves, but send it in a sealed container “To the nearest centre of learning, where it will be rendered / Harmless, by experts.”

Most people’s experience of poetry is deeply influenced by the teaching of poetry at school, where poems are often offered as complicated riddles, apparently designed to trip up the unsuspecting student. Elma Mitchell’s poem offers a wry critique of the way poetry is treated with caution, almost deactivated like a bomb by people who are detached, rational, and perhaps not always fully appreciative of the emotional immediacy of poetry. Billy Collins’ ‘Introduction to Poetry’ similarly explores the theme of poetry’s treatment: “all they want to do / is tie the poem to a chair with rope / and torture a confession out of it.”

Sometimes poetry is not about meaning, but about the sound of beautiful words tripping off the human tongue. In the ‘Taste and See’ chapter, there’s a beautiful poem by Peter Davidson called ‘Peaches:’

“A mouthful of language to swallow:
stretches of beach, sweet clinches,
breaches in walls, pleached branches;
britches hauled over haunches;
hunched leeches, wrenched teachers.”

And on it goes, playing with words. Other poems like ‘Blackberry’ and ‘Blackberrying’ are mouth-watering, while ‘A Kumquat for John Keats’ by Tony Harrison is well worth a read, and those easily put off by longer works should still give this one a try. Kim Admonition’s ‘For Desire’ is another great piece from this section.

In the ‘Daily Round’ chapter, there are great poems about everyday life and work, as well as wonderful writing about city life. Roo Borson’s ‘City Lights’ is a perfect example of the latter. Rather than a piece that bemoans urban life, this one celebrates the sights of the city: “sitting on a train to Toronto; walking down a street; just leaving one’s home to disappear among the masses.”

And then there’s Edward Hirsch’s stunning ‘In Spite of Everything, the Stars’:

“Like a stunned piano, like a bucket
of fresh milk flung into the air
or a dozen fists of confetti
thrown hard at a bride
stepping down from the altar,
the stars surprise the sky.
Think of dazed stones
floating overhead, or an ocean
of starfish hung up to dry.”

This is a beautiful page long poem that poetry lovers shouldn’t miss.

Some poems tell stories, others speak directly of emotion, or act as still life paintings done in word-strokes. There are so many different kinds of poem, though the one thing most have in common is a modern style. While many of the poems will not be well known, there are the better known works such as Sylvia Plath’s ‘Daddy’ and ‘First they came for the Jews…’ which is attributed to Martin Niemöller. W. H. Auden’s ‘Musée de Beaux Arts’ is another worth mentioning. In fact, there are just too many great poems to list, let alone quote.

Marge Piercy, Helen Dunmore, Adrienne Rich, Margaret Atwood, Ted Hughes, Pablo Neruda, Simon Armitage, Elizabeth Bishop, Carol Ann Duffy, George Mackay Brown, Emily Dickinson and many other big names are present. It was great to see one of the sonnets by Eleanor Brown from her wonderful Bloodaxe collection, ‘Maiden Speech,’ though it was have been nice to see more of her work. Having said that, she does appear in the earlier ‘Staying Alive’ too.

There’s a section at the back of ‘Being Alive’ that lists the poets and some of their collections. Perhaps, from a Scottish perspective, it was a shame not to see Scotland’s greatest living poet, Edwin Morgan, represented. Since he is effectively Scotland’s Poet Laureate, though his actual title is somewhat different, this does seem like an omission. He does appear in ‘Staying Alive’ though.

Otherwise, ‘Being Alive’ is a treasure trove, a book to be dipped into time and again, not just in the short term, but over the years. With poems for different occasions and experiences, not just in this book, but also in the earlier ‘Staying Alive’ volume, these are indispensable collections that ought to stand the test of time.

Kara Kellar Bell is a film and media graduate from the West of Scotland, with a passion for European novels, French films, silent cinema, and Brazilian music (everything from Daniela Mercury and other pop stars through to bossa nova). As a writer, she likes to have room to move around creatively, so she’s not located in one genre. She writes realism and also stories of a more fantastic nature, usually grounded to some extent in the real world. She also takes delight in writing across the sexual spectrum, and as a bisexual, considers it important to remind people that things are not always black and white, either/or, in sexuality or in gender. For a selection of Kara’s writing on the Showcase section of this site, click here

© 2004 Laura Hird All rights reserved.