Armada

by Brian Patten

nan

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Bohemian Book Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

*"A man lives so many different lengths of time."
*Reading the poem from where this concluding line comes from days after Brian Patten's passing away
*Made it more impactful. I found nearly
*All the poems in this elegiac & nostalgic collection moving, enjoyable & aurally well-crafted, leaving a lingering effect which is what great poetry should be able to
*Do for me. In
*Almost every poem there's an unexpected line or phrase that made me hum with satisfaction. The book ends with a poem called 'The Brackets'. It's about seeing the years of birth & death in brackets next to the names of long-deceased poets, warning his fellow Merseyside poet-mates that the brackets would come for them "any day now" . I found it so synchronistic that I pencilled Brian Patten's name and his years of life in brackets at the end of the poem.

R.I.P. Brian Patten.

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up really for one poem which I'd read has become one of the most read poems at funerals, including Ken Dodd's. It's a strong piece but it turns out that most of this collection from almost 25 years ago is just as concerned with death as "So Many Different Lengths of Time". I read the entire collection out loud in one sitting and I'm happy to say that both Patten and I are still here to attest that thinking about mortality is not the downer you might imagine.

[Anji M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is worth owning for “Inessential Things” alone but there are many highlights. Beautiful poems. Gardens, cats, and love.

[Mike Kanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any collection of poems or stories, not all will strike a chord. However, overall, I enjoyed his use of words to set tone and evoke memories. I can see why he is so popular as a poet.

[Tomek Fijałkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

great poems.