The Well Tempered Tantrum

by John Talbot

The Well-Tempered Tantrum is a warm and intelligent collection of classically-infused poems in the high formal style. Writing with deceptive ease, John Talbot engages the reader’s attention with emotional depth and artful technique.

Genres: Poetry

92 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

Reviews

[Kendra Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful. These poems are DENSE, which I mean in the very best sense of the word. Each poem has so many layers upon layers of allusion to other great works of poetry (The Iliad, The Odes of Horace, Paradise Lost, Robert Frost, The Aeneid, Beowulf, and on and on and on), and I am positive I could not have caught more than half of what was in there. It makes me want to go back and read all of the classics again so I can read these poems again and find new little Easter eggs. Talbot manages the balance between cheek and seriousness masterfully, in a manner reminiscent of C.S. Lewis. Couched in his disdainful tone is a passionate love for life and poetry.
Favorite poems:
The Secret Accretions - 32
The American School - 45
Uninheritance - 76

Five stars because there isn't an option to give it more.

[Jeremiah Scanlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully serious play. I haven't had this much fun since I first read Wallace Stevens. A real gem of a collection.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this; Talbot writes with great skill, and can even manage rhyming poems in a world more concerned with soundbites. Kudos on that. I really respected the work that went into them. But, alas, they did not touch me, and that may be more about me than about the poetry. I will mention the poem on running, Circuit Court. It's a surprise that takes a second reading before you really get it.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like poetry, but this neo-classicism is just not my type. It seemed at times that he was just throwing in big words and references to classical mythology without a purpose. Some of the poems were really good though.