The Lords of Misrule: Poems 1992–2001

by X.J. Kennedy

Winner of the Poets Prize The Lords of Misrule , X. J. Kennedy's seventh volume of poetry, exhibits his characteristic blend of wit, intellectual curiosity, and formal mastery. The sixty poems collected here explore a wide range of a scathing curse on a sneak-thief, a wry ballad of Henry James and his not-quite lover Constance Fenimore Woolson, an elegy for Allen Ginsberg, incisive views of contemporary Egypt, a serio-comic meditation on the relic of St. Teresa of Avila which Spain's General Franco kept at his bedside, and a response to the events of September 11. Like the controlled frenzy of medieval Christmas festivities presided over by the appointed Lords of Misrule, Kennedy's poems possess a chaotic humor and frenetic energy held within tight metrical bounds. In his latest collection, Kennedy confirms his reputation as one of America's most accomplished and engaging poets.

Genres: Poetry

112 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 2002

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to prefer Kennedy's late poetry, although he can get awfully old-man-ish when he moans about modern developments such as birth control and woman having careers. He and the Church seem to have mostly resolved their earlier domestic quarrels, or at least settled down to acrimonious harmony.