Cordelia

by Grace Chia

Cordelia, Grace Chia’s second poetry collection, excavates from the imagery of life, art and modernity to create a mélange of fragmented colours in remembering the past, musing on the present and imagining the fantastic. The voice of the poet is visceral yet contemplative, sensual and surreal; it lingers with a satisfying piquancy long after it’s heard.

Genres: Poetry

106 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Shivanee Ramlochan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Was it your pride, Father, that kept you
spitting up reams of a gilded river
lavished on the shallow utterances
of daughters who love you least?

If the myth were true, imagine:
we, as spawn of the grotesque,
sprouts of the beast's fecund underbelly;
legions of unceasing worker ants,
a seminal mess of a mercenary mass;
we claim this dot, now, hence, hereafter:

this is our lot, our blotch,
our orgiastic spot."

from "Made in Singapore: iCordelia"

Of teeth and talons and poisoned cups of tea are these firebrand, visionary poems made. They are *absolutely* my kind, and what a deep joy it was to read alongside Grace in Singapore, to hear her imagination leap, bristling and ferociously made, in her undaunted voice.

[Ronnie Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dear Cordelia
Across the lion city
Breathing life to words

[Teo · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were a few poems I didn't really like in this collection, but on the whole I thought it was brilliant. I like how the poet draws from a wide range of experiences - family conflicts, heritage, identity, love, relationships and motherhood - to present a whole set of vastly different but all very interesting poems. At some points touching, others humorous or racy (count yourself warned haha) but I'll be hunting for more of her works in the future!

[Insin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace chia doesn't bother with making her poetry pretty. She's blunt and explicit, covering a whole range of subject matter without compensating on emotional depth. I particularly liked the precise imagery in 'Awkward Silence' and 'Daughter'.
Now I am itching to pick up womango!