Skirrid Hill

by Owen Sheers

Ideas of separation and divorce—the geographical divides of borders, the separation of the dead and the living, the movement from childhood to adulthood, and the end of relationships—drive this poetry collection from one of Great Britain's rising young talents. The collection revolves around the poems "Y Gaer" and "The Hillfort," the titles themselves suggesting the linguistic divide in Wales, from poems concerned with childhood, a Welsh landscape, and family to an outward-looking vision that is both geographic and historic.

Genres: Poetry, School, Read For School, Contemporary, British Literature

52 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

OWEN SHEERS is a poet, author and playwright. His first novel, Resistance, was translated into ten languages and adapted into a film. The Dust Diaries, his Zimbabwean nonfiction narrative, won the Wales Book of the Year Award. His awards for poetry and drama include the Somerset Maugham Award for Skirrid Hill, the Hay Festival Medal for Poetry and Wales Book of the Year Award for Pink Mist, and the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award for his play The Two Worlds of Charlie F. His most recent novel is I Saw a Man, which was shortlisted for the Prix Femina Etranger. He lives in Wales with his wife and daughter. He has been a New York Public Library Cullman Fellow and is currently Professor in Creativity at Swansea University.

Reviews

[Andrew H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skirrid Hill is an A Level set text. That has given it a currency and value beyond which it merits. There are a few fine poems. There are also many forced poems that lend themselves to literary analysis more than enjoyment. And that leads to the main problem with this volume. It reads like a rag bag into which everything has been stuffed and a reader can spend many hours consequently spotting similes and metaphors and seeing how a poem is put together. Eliot, R S Thomas, Heaney, Yeats, all flit across these poems. But the result is nothing like their works. There is a heavy handedness in Skirrid Hill , as if a reader cannot be trusted to read what is there, and this results in poems being over-explained to the point of cliche. The volume is concerned with division, divorce, the split hill, the spliced tongue of language, and ultimately the schism between poet and reader-- a reader that cannot feel the emotion in the poems because of all the precious language.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

if daddy issues was an anthology. i promise you owen, walking up a mountain did not solve deep rooted communicative issues with your parent.

[seher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was my least favourite required reading of the year...

[Ellis Robertson · Rating 1 out of 5]

To understand this collection all you need is this one line;
“Two soaped beans into a delicate purse”
Here, Sheers is describing the testicals of a sheep, recalling the time he castrated lambs at the age of 13, which is meant to be a deep, moving and relatable analogy of puberty.

I can’t believe that my A level rests on this man’s shoulders.

(Also there are about 7 poems dedicated to the objectification of women, but present themselves as #female empowerment 🤮)

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

skirrid hill? more like shit hill (ok that was terrible but also feels like the kind of pun sheers would attempt)

he’s actually incompetent at making me feel a single emotion except frustration and i feel like that sort of defies the point of poetry

it irks me every day that i have to raise this man to the level of seamus heaney

2 stars though because there are some nice ones in there, i am an y gaer/hillfort stan

[Ethan · Rating 2 out of 5]

read for class. so obviously it was dogshit.

[Alexandra Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s just so cliché. Or just weird. “Late spring” is odd. I understand it. I get it. I just didn’t like it. It felt forced? I don’t know. I understand that the book is supposed to be about feeling lost and I guess he did a good job because I’m lost

[Aibhla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bro wrote a poem about cutting off sheep dick and a whole essay about working in a restaurant 💀💀

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spend a lot of time researching books, reading about books, planning what I am going to read next and getting excited about reading something that I have been thinking about for a long time. It is always therefore a lovely surprise to pick up something random that I have never heard of before and find it to be so brilliant. This was certainly the case with Owen Sheers’ ‘Skirrid Hill.’

This is one of those rare collections of poems where virtually every single poem seemed to sparkle, move and erupt with meaning. Moreover, whilst there is thread that seems to connect all the poems as the blurb at the back of the collection states ‘ideas of separation and divorce inhabit many of the poems’, which is best epitomised by the eponymous poem ‘Skirrid Fawr’ which stands as a metaphor for the central thematic concern that Sheers examines within the poems, what actually characterises the poems for me is their diversity:

The collection switches between dealing with romantic relationship and their painful breakdown as evident in ‘Keyways’ where the mundane switching of keys movingly conveys the disintegration of the couple’s relationship to poems that deal with historical moments and their aftermath. ‘Mametz Wood’ considers the continued discovery of skulls and bones in Mametz Wood years after the end of the war in a manner that is both grotesque, he describes the ‘socketed heads tilted back at an angle’ to remind us of the horrors of the war and yet at the same time beautiful – they are a ‘broken mosaic of bone linked arm in arm’ where the skeletons seem to become a form of art that reminds us of the comradeship soldiers found on the front line as well as the union death has created between them. At the same time, he provides us with some wonderful vignettes such as ‘Service’ that depicts the mayhem of service in a restaurant – ‘a theatre’ where the ‘witches’ cauldron’ spews forth the most delectable of meals and the chaos of the kitchen is brilliant juxtaposed to the calm outside of the natural world and the restaurant itself. Then, of course, there are the poems that feel more personal such as ‘Farther’ which seems to recall a journey he once took with his father in a moving and engaging depiction of personal soul searching. Then there are the beautiful depictions of the landscape itself as in ‘Calendar’ where the splendour of spring is evoked in the image of swallows that ‘crotchet and minim the telephone wires’ that implies both their visual image and the musicality of the birds with utter simplicity. This is then juxtaposed to the final image of winter where ‘nests clot in the veins of the tree’ – an image of stagnation and bloodshed that is disturbing in its visceral nature. Wonderfully poetic and imaginative!

Scenes of domesticity are brilliant counterpoised with depictions of the natural world and Sheers’ home country, Wales; humour is intermingled subtly with poems that plunge into depths of sorrow and historical pain; detail is juxtaposed with wide landscapes where the artist’s eye seems to cinematically pan out historically and in terms of perspective.

Yet for me, it is the contemporary resonance of Sheers’ poems that makes them so poignant and enjoyable. Perhaps it is because I so often find myself immersed in the poetry of the past that, which whilst often brilliant, does not resonate with me personally, but Sheers’ seems to me to be writing for a twenty-first century audience. This collection, published in 2006 when he was only 32, I feel speaks to a new generation and his concerns are those of the contemporary reader even as he delves into the past. As such, they vibrate with meaning.

Sheers has already received numerous prizes for his work and as his diverse work continues, (he has also written a novel and non-fiction), his literary abilities will only continue to grow and be increasingly praised. This was a joy to read and I look forward to exploring more of his poetic works and his yet ‘unspoken words’ (‘Skirrd Fawr’)

[Personaonthepodium · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a straight white male piece of art, that is not a necessarily bad thing on its own but this collection feels so unoriginal and basic that it’s impossible to ignore it.
The themes include: sexy women doing things , random war anecdotes, proud Welshness and how he has a complicated relationship with his father. Groundbreaking isn’t it.

[Ben · Rating 1 out of 5]

warning spoilers





Its shit!!!!

[Aisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost gave it two stars but there were some redeeming poems

[Carol Sheppard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and atmospheric poetry from a skilled poet

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Your father found at dawn -/a poppy sown in the unripe corn."

I studied Skirrid Hill for my A-Level in English Literature, in a comparative focus with Heaney's Field Work. The comparative aspect was really generative. I enjoyed exploring feelings of division, separation, identity, loss, responsibility, grief. Sheers' work is thoughtful and incisive, particularly the poems about war and loss, but what I found most striking is that it is incredibly deliberate in a way which kind of, I guess, makes you not trust what he's writing.

Don't get me wrong, poets are deliberate. They write to convey meaning. But I felt like Sheers' over-reliance on very obvious rhyming couplets, prolepsis, and drawn out lines of a metaphor which sometimes was literally so long or convoluted you could hang washing on it (forgive me), was a bit too much for me. As someone who adores Heaney, I enjoy density of language. I trust Heaney's words. The density is just right for me. I felt like I couldn't trust Sheers' poetic voice because of its pithiness: it felt like he was, at points, overexplaining himself. For me, the beauty of literature is that it really does speak for itself, without need for explanation afterwards.

That being said, I think the collection of poems is incredibly meaningful. It is quite literally structured around a sense of division and poor communication: the linguistic and cultural divide in Wales, but also the linguistic divides that lead to failed relationships. I guess as a 16 year old, reading this made me just a touch cynical about love (rightly so, I feel, experiencing the aftermath of heartbreak for the very first time).

If you're looking for a nice poetry collection that provides a lot of resolution, clear messaging and is generally easy to read, you'll find it in this anthology.

[庄严 (libb) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A 2-, would’ve rated this a 1.5 if I could
I’m probably the same as 95% of Sheers’ current audience, with the fact that this was read as a required text.
—
The only poem that I actually liked was “Farther”, rest was just a bit strange, to say the least. Everything just felt so shallow and detached from the author, which is ironic, since the collection is (mostly) a homage to his life. For example, what is the point of all of the semi-erotic poems? Also the weird obsession with the Skirrid itself - there are other ways to express your feelings/nationalism/eroticism without having to talk about a hiking route.
I do think that “Farther” was the only poem that really held substance for me, the hike being symbolic for the passage of time and the way it affected their relationship, alluding to the mutual acceptance of the distance between father and son. I think there’s something beautiful about the unspoken gestures despite this. I don’t know, maybe because I saw some of my relationships with my family reflected in such.

Not really enjoyable other than that, no point reading it if it isn’t required. It’s not terrible, just don’t bother.

[snoozysioux · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably more like 2 1/2. My English teacher has a FAT crush on Sheers so that made some poems lowkey funny but other than that Jesus Christ get this man into family therapy. Also objectifying women and making it look feminist really is not the radical move he thinks it is 😭😭😭

[Hamish Critchley]

I dont trust his pretty face

[maya · Rating 1 out of 5]

how did this get on the curriculum and why would my school choose it instead of feminine gospels!!

[Karlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a 3.5 or 3.75. Were it a 4/5 I’d have to buy my own copy whereas a friend lent me hers and whilst it was an enjoyable read, I can’t afford the shelf space nor the re-read time. There are many fine images and lines here, full of Wales rainy verdant fields like ‘quiet moments beside a wet horse’ (Inheritance) or ‘sheep passing through the car park’ (The Steelworks), the raw childhood of Hedge School, a suite of haiku on the year (Calendar).

And I love Wales, so it is difficult not to enjoy this photographic album of stanzas. Good stuff.

[lilly golota · Rating 3 out of 5]

the poems arent bad but for me personally they feel bland - maybe because i cant relate as am not welsh or a man. some really good gems in here though, loved winter swans. the farrier despite being a joke in our lessons is actually really good. mametz wood gcse classic! good job owen

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

School book😴I love poems tho😭

[grace belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually liked some of the poems. Sex.

[amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*
I really enjoyed the way Sheers described Wales and what it means to him. I like that theme of identity which runs throughout the poetry collection.
I think my favourite poem was Keways. They metaphor of the keys really worked for me and it flowed well, unlike some other metaphors he created which I didn't particularly enjoy.
On a whole there wasn't much i could relate to in this poetry collection, hence the low rating, which is what i think is an important part of enjoying literature, especially poetry! However i do respect and admire his creative writing style and i am looking forward to analysing this collection in lessons.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

some of the poems are really nice, like border country, hedge school and skirrid fawr. I just think that he needs to shut up about women sometimes because it felt quite objectify-y. I quite like how he talks about masculinity and a softer side of it, but also he's so male gazey sometimes. some of his descriptions are a little cursed sometimes I won't lie, like the poem about having sex by a dead sheep. there is a lot of sex. I love his nature stuff and the general idea he brings in about humans' intertwinedness with nature, and the linking of poetry, place and human relationships. a lot of the poems just don't really do it for me, and they feel a bit forced sometimes or maybe trying to be overly profound. decent for a level but I wouldn't probably read it on my own.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read Skirrid Hill in 2013 as part of my English literature course and enjoyed it so much. Skirrid Hill is one of my favourite poetry books of all time. It is such a diverse collection of poems and I love the personal feel they give. When I'm feeling flustered and stressed, like today, the poetry in Skirrid Hill never fails to calm me down. It reassures me that nothing lasts forever and particular emotions are temporary.

[cait · Rating 2 out of 5]

this anthology is so difficult to read. poetry, at some points, should be this way - heavy and sluggish - in order to convey tone and meaning and feeling. the whole book felt like an unintentional slog. it's like writing the whole book was a chore. the title poem and its counterpart were the most interesting; it feels like the rest of the book was an afterthought.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite of Sheers’ work to date.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like his similes!

[Andrew Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great poems, some good, some okay, and then there are poems like Shadow Man which are awful. Sheers is a reasonably good poet, but not a master.

[mackenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

re-reading also 😭