I agree with you Dom - though I think he's ripping lyric apart as a
lyric poet, and with a fine anarchic anger. But I do think lyric is
among other things a form of violence. I prefer the recent poetry to
the icy perfection of some of his earlier work (Mercian Hymns
excepted, I always thought it a wonderful poem). I've read a few
reviews of work that really surprised me: sniffy, as you say. And
I'm really quite fascinated to see what emerges next -
Best
Alison
>You can say what you like about G. Hill's funny turn in recent years (I
>think the latest stuff is great, in a barmy and infuriating sort of way. I
>wonder whether people thought Mercian Hymns was barmy and infuriating when
>it first came out, or did it attain instantly the cosy canonicity - "The
>Hill you might actually like!" - it now seems to enjoy?). One thing I don't
>think he's lost is precisely "phrase-making ability". It's the lyric impulse
>that's gone haywire, but he's always been a bit sniffy about the lyric
>anyway..
>
>
>--> Knowledge is the continuation of ignorance by other means <--
>homepage: http://www.geocities.com/domfox
--
Alison Croggon
Home page
http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
Masthead online
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