Carcanet Press - Late Poems

Description
Excerpt
Contents
Awards
Reviews

Tenants in Common

A hiss from near my heel.
A slither up out of the shallows.
And my old opposite
breathed out of the branches in my path.

‘I had been hoping for this.
To solve our joint requirements:
you, needing my nothingness
to quieten your fevers;
I needing the pulse of life
for my inertia.
We were made for each other.

Misplaced here together,
who knows for how long more;
neither asking to take part;

both hoping for the unexpected
to improve matters;
knowing it is unlikely.

I have decided, therefore,
to make as much of things as I can.’

The thin leathery lips approached my neck.

This book collects the poems of Thomas Kinsella from his five most recent Peppercanister pamphlets. As he has throughout his writing, here Kinsella sets himself, clear-eyed, to face hard truths: ‘the waste and the excess’ of the living process; ageing and emptiness; the cancer of war. But against these are the creatively redeeming impulses – of the search for understanding: ‘an imagination arguing with itself / until the ache is eased’; above all, of ‘Grace as desire… Joy of the flesh / Saying all it can of love.’

Marginal Economy (2006)

Wandering alone

First Night

The Affair

Wedding Service

Blood of the Innocent

Marcus Aurelius

Songs of Exile

Marginal Economy

Songs of Understanding

Rhetoric of Natural Beauty

Man of War (2007)

Argument

Retrospect

A Proposal

Notes

1. An Insect Analogue

2. By the Dead Sea

3. A Sleeping Cancer

4. The War Horse

5. Instances from the Greek

Belief and Unbelief (2007)

Novice

Delirium

Superfresh

Echo

Art Object

Belief and Unbelief

Legendary Figures, in Old Age

Lost Cause

Ceremony

Foetus of Saint Augustine

Genesis

Prayer I

Prayer II

Addendum

Fat Master (2011)

Elderly Craftsman at his Bench

Into Thy Hands

The Last Round: an allegory

The Guardians

Summer Evening: City Centre

She continued

Reflection

Free Fall

Fat Master

Love Joy Peace (2011)

Reserved Table

Anatomy

Colloquy of the Carnal

Flesh Eater

The Next Part of the Prayer

Tenants in Common

Love Joy Peace

Awards won by Thomas Kinsella Commended, 2007 Poetry Book Society
(Selected Poems)

'The most complex and multi-layered of the Peppercanister poems...taken with the 1968 and 1973 volumes and some of the earlier poems may comprise the most challenging, most achieved, and therefore most rewarding body of poetry from the British Isles over the past half-century.'
The Cambridge History of Irish Literature 'With unique memorability and force these poems, in the words of 'Belief and Unbelief', coax us to follow their author in search of understanding 'back to the dark / and the depths that I came from'. No one who cares about poetry should hesitate to embark on the journey.'
The Guardian

Quote of the Day an admirable concern to keep lines open to writing in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and America. Seamus Heaney Home Events Authors Titles Paperback Hardback Limited Edition Journal CD eBook Imprints Anvil Press Poetry Aspects of Portugal Audio Books Carcanet Classics Carcanet Fiction Carcanet Film Carcanet Merchandise Carcanet Poetry Comma Press FyfieldBooks Lintott Press Lives and Letters Northern House OxfordPoets PN Review Sheep Meadow Press Information About Us Academic Enquiries Authors For Events Catalogue Contact Us Copyright and Permissions Join Our Mailing List Opportunities at Carcanet Press Enquiries PN Review Returns Policy Shopping Guide Stocklist Submission Guidelines Trade Information Resources Audio Gallery Reading Group Guides Video
Book Search Search > advanced search Subscribe to our mailing list
Late Poems Thomas Kinsella RRP: GBP 9.95 Discount: 10% You Save: GBP 0.99 Price: GBP 8.96 Available This title is available for academic inspection (paperback only). Paperback ISBN: 978 1 847772 43 5 Categories: 21st Century, Irish Imprint: Carcanet Poetry Published: October 2013 216 x 135 x 8 mm 144 pages Publisher: Carcanet Press Description Excerpt Contents Awards Reviews Tenants in Common A hiss from near my heel. A slither up out of the shallows. And my old opposite breathed out of the branches in my path. ‘I had been hoping for this. To solve our joint requirements: you, needing my nothingness to quieten your fevers; I needing the pulse of life for my inertia. We were made for each other. Misplaced here together, who knows for how long more; neither asking to take part; both hoping for the unexpected to improve matters; knowing it is unlikely. I have decided, therefore, to make as much of things as I can.’ The thin leathery lips approached my neck. This book collects the poems of Thomas Kinsella from his five most recent Peppercanister pamphlets. As he has throughout his writing, here Kinsella sets himself, clear-eyed, to face hard truths: ‘the waste and the excess’ of the living process; ageing and emptiness; the cancer of war. But against these are the creatively redeeming impulses – of the search for understanding: ‘an imagination arguing with itself / until the ache is eased’; above all, of ‘Grace as desire… Joy of the flesh / Saying all it can of love.’ Marginal Economy (2006) Wandering alone First Night The Affair Wedding Service Blood of the Innocent Marcus Aurelius Songs of Exile Marginal Economy Songs of Understanding Rhetoric of Natural Beauty Man of War (2007) Argument Retrospect A Proposal Notes 1. An Insect Analogue 2. By the Dead Sea 3. A Sleeping Cancer 4. The War Horse 5. Instances from the Greek Belief and Unbelief (2007) Novice Delirium Superfresh Echo Art Object Belief and Unbelief Legendary Figures, in Old Age Lost Cause Ceremony Foetus of Saint Augustine Genesis Prayer I Prayer II Addendum Fat Master (2011) Elderly Craftsman at his Bench Into Thy Hands The Last Round: an allegory The Guardians Summer Evening: City Centre She continued Reflection Free Fall Fat Master Love Joy Peace (2011) Reserved Table Anatomy Colloquy of the Carnal Flesh Eater The Next Part of the Prayer Tenants in Common Love Joy Peace Awards won by Thomas Kinsella Commended, 2007 Poetry Book Society (Selected Poems) 'The most complex and multi-layered of the Peppercanister poems...taken with the 1968 and 1973 volumes and some of the earlier poems may comprise the most challenging, most achieved, and therefore most rewarding body of poetry from the British Isles over the past half-century.' The Cambridge History of Irish Literature 'With unique memorability and force these poems, in the words of 'Belief and Unbelief', coax us to follow their author in search of understanding 'back to the dark / and the depths that I came from'. No one who cares about poetry should hesitate to embark on the journey.' The Guardian You might also be interested in: Parallax Sinead Morrissey New Selected Poems Eavan Boland	Share this... Quick Links Anvil Press Poetry Aspects of Portugal Audio Books Carcanet Classics Carcanet Fiction Carcanet Film Carcanet Poetry FyfieldBooks Lintott Press Lives and Letters OxfordPoets PN Review Sheep Meadow Press The Carcanet Blog Chris Beckett: Ethopian Literature Festival read more Gallop Blog Brackenbury read more 'Disciplines of Experiment': John Wilkinson read more PN Review 245: Editorial read more Setting Sally's Songs read more Nina Bogin: 'Thousandfold' read more
We thank the Arts Council England for their support and assistance in this interactive Project.
Privacy Statement Sitemap RSS Feeds Home Events Authors Titles Imprints Information Resources This website ©2000-2019 Carcanet Press Ltd