Blossomise

by Simon Armitage, Angela Harding (Illustrator)

Blossomise celebrates the ecstatic arrival of spring blossom just as it acknowledges, too, its melancholy disappearance. Full of spirited leaps of imagination and language, the twenty-one poems hopscotch between intense momentary haikus that honour the Japanese traditions of the blossom festival and stand-alone lyrical pieces that take in the stylistic tones of ballads, hymns, songs, prayers and nursery rhymes. From a crashed Ford Capri wrapped around the immovable trunk of a cherry tree, to saplings flourishing among skyscrapers and urban sprawl, the fizz and froth of the annual blossom display is explored here both as an exuberant emblem of the natural world and a nervous marker of our vulnerable climate.

Angela Harding responds to the poems in wonderful accompanying illustrations.

Genres: Poetry, Nature, Fiction, 21st Century

63 pages, Hardcover

First published March 21, 2024

About the author

Simon Armitage, whose The Shout was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, has published ten volumes of poetry and has received numerous honors for his work. He was appointed UK Poet Laureate in 2019

Armitage's poetry collections include Book of Matches (1993) and The Dead Sea Poems (1995). He has written two novels, Little Green Man (2001) and The White Stuff (2004), as well as All Points North (1998), a collection of essays on the north of England. He has produced a dramatised version of Homer's Odyssey and a collection of poetry entitled Tyrannosaurus Rex Versus The Corduroy Kid (which was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize), both of which were published in July 2006. Many of Armitage's poems appear in the AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) GCSE syllabus for English Literature in the United Kingdom. These include "Homecoming", "November", "Kid", "Hitcher", and a selection of poems from Book of Matches, most notably of these "Mother any distance...". His writing is characterised by a dry Yorkshire wit combined with "an accessible, realist style and critical seriousness."

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2.5) Armitage has been the Poet Laureate for yonks now, but I can’t say his poetry has ever made much of an impression on me. That’s especially true of this slim volume commissioned by the National Trust: it’s 3 stars for Angela Harding’s lovely if biologically inaccurate (but I’ll be kind and call them whimsical) engravings, and 2 stars for the actual poems, which are light on content. Plum, cherry, apple, pear, blackthorn and hawthorn blossom loom large. It’s hard to describe spring without resorting to enraptured clichés, though: “Planet Earth in party mode, / petals fizzing and frothing / like pink champagne.” The haiku (11 of 21 poems) feel particularly tossed-off: “The streets are learning / the language of plum blossom. / The trees have spoken.” But others are sure to think more of this than I did.

A favourite passage: “Scented and powdered / she’s staging / a one-tree show / with hi-viz blossoms / and lip-gloss petals; / she’ll season the pavements / and polished stones / with something like snow.”

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saved this for 1 March, a fanfare for spring.
I'm giving it an unashamed 5 stars. Blossom gets more precious to me as I get older. I loved the combination of styles - from folksongs to haiku - and the ability to be wide-eyed without being saccharine; wry but not cynical. The accompanying woodcuts are naive but make this a little parcel of joy.

Extra delighted to discover I'd been given a signed copy.

[May Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

"Constellations bloom
in orchards of April skies.
The stars blossomise."

I've discovered Simon Armitage recently but I can't get enough of his poetry and plays. This latest project perfectly embodies spring and hope.

"Blossom: a CV" and "The Seasons" were my favourite. The haiku in between poems and artworks gave a lovely rhythm to the entire book.

"Blossom was a dictionary.
Knew how to spell resurrection
And the true meaning
Of revelation."
- Blossom: a CV

[Georgina Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful beautiful beautiful. What a way to bring in the spring 🌸

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow more great poems from my close personal friend simon armitage (i met him once and we disagreed over twilight)

[Kiran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice, light read. Many of the poems felt superficial - or at least barely scratched the surface of what I feel like Armitage was trying to convey about the beauty and importance of blossom trees. However there are some gems in this little collection, which tell fleeting but impactful stories, or else paint a vicereal depiction of blossom.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good combination - Simon Armitage's poems and Angela Harding's illustrations. Since I retired I appreciate annual changes in nature so much more - the first snowdrops, fresh new green leaves, November light and of course blossom. I agree with Armitage we need to celebrate the wonder of blossom.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A birthday party for Spring, and everyone's invited!

[Seher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a poem out of place. Not a page to be skipped.

Planning a trip next to see cherry blossoms because how have I lived so long without them

[Jane Fudger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not one of Simon Armitage's best poetry collections.The theme is as the book's title suggests - it is about spring and blossom. The collection contains 21 poems of which 11 are haiku which seems to be a current trend in poetry.
M favourite poems are "Blossom a CV", "Folk Song" and "Profusion". The haikus in this case did not appeal to me although I have read other haiku poems by Simon Armitage that I have enjoyed.
The book cover and illustrations in the book were completed by Angela Harding and were very beautiful

[Gavin Lightfoot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A special edition of poetry for the National Trust by our poet laureate, nicely illustrated collection of poems about blossom and the seasons.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/disc...

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of poems celebrating blossom. I particularly liked the haikus and Fluffy Dice. Angela Harding's illustrations are to die for!

[Chanel Chapters]

Frilly flower poems 🌸

[Russio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Armitage is a nature poet in the style of Ted Hughes,although he would probably reject such a simplistic comparison. Both embedded in the natural world and coming at it from oblique, modern viewpoints, this collection takes a topic that a city-dweller like me would potentially find dull, and imbues it with such life that the collection is a mini- marvel.

Doing what it says on the tin, essentially celebrating the survivalist qualities of blossoming trees, particularly the cherry, and sounding a note of caution for the haywire weather cycles of this damaged world, Armitage's collection is both a flourish and a last post all at once.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad I succumbed to the lure of this in a bookshop. I loved the idea of the National Trust working to create an annual celebration of blossom, and Simon Armitage has done a fine job with the commission, with delicate haiku, not so delicate as to be unknowing (or all timeless), and other poems. There's nothing fey here but much uplifting... in an often very dry humorous way such as "Fluffy Dice" (mouth puckeringly dry that one)

"The Seasons" is, I suspect, destined to become one of the greats. Angela Harding was a great choice for illustration... except that I wish the extra few colours used on the cover had appeared in some of those within as the black and light sea green restriction creates an unduly dark vibe.

"Poetry" he writes in the introduction "is in debt to the environment, Having had its money's worth from its use of nature as a byword for beauty or a pretty backdrop.

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simon Armitage has always been a bit of a hit or miss poet for me, and this collection was no different. Sometimes it felt a bit superficial. When I liked it, I really liked it. A favourite passage: "One sleepless dawn, in the aftermath,/I walked the plank of the garden path,/and caught the morning picking the lock/of the frozen pond; the shipwrecked cherry/was suddenly fleshed in electric pink/and transfigured now from yesterday/into ecstasy."

For a collection about spring blossom, I wish that all of Angela Harding's illustrations had colour in them like the beautiful cover, as the ones inside are all done only in black&white&blue.

Something Armitage wrote in the introduction to this collection rang very true: "Poetry is in debt to the environment, having had its money's worth from its use of nature as a byword for beauty or a pretty backdrop. Now poetry must speak up for nature when it cannot speak for itself."

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* - This is a beautifully presented collection of art, which makes it such a joy to read. Unfortunately, a large part of the poetry didn’t resonate with me. However, there is one poem that climbs to the top of the cherry tree - The Seasons, which showcases Simon’s talent perfectly, and there were also a couple of stanzas that raised a smile. Overall, whilst beautiful, it reads a little lacklustre

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read of twenty or so poems commissioned by the National Trust from Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, on the theme of spring blossoms, embellished by Angela Harding's woodcut illustrations. Nothing to not like, if not exactly transporting. Will probably reward a re-read, and despite Harding's bio at the back being only 20% the length of Armitage's, it's really her contribution that lifts this from a low pick to a solid one 4🌸

[Rebecca Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful poetry about blossom and about life. Who knew blossom could be personified so effectively in so many ways?! The best poetry sticks with you and makes you ponder and reflect and revisit those carefully chosen words, and this collection does that for me. The book is also very beautifully illustrated and the cover will brighten your bookshelf.
I love Simon Armitage'poetry, and I'm looking forward to his signing my copy as a birthday treat!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely collection. I would have liked loved a few more poems as I felt like it had more to say. The addition of haikus keeps the book light and frothy, the illustrations add a feeling of festivity, the lino cut style brings it down to earth. Really delightful personification of the blossom trees.

[Brook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry by Simon Armitage, illustrations by Angela Harding (even one featuring those Yorkshire whippets!), and all designed and delivered to help us enjoy the spring bloom? Hooray! My favorite poems were generally the haikus, though the diversity in form—haiku, folk song, ballads, nursery rhymes—kept this collection popping.

[thehalcyondaysofsummer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bees buy and sell.
It’s market day on Plum Street.
Pollen changes hands.

The perfect accompaniment to welcoming in the Spring. Simon’s words and Angela’s illustrations are a perfect match.

4.5 ⭐️

[Domhnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty one short poems, of which ten are haiku, celebrate the blossoms which announce the arrival of spring. A wealth of lino-cut illustrations by Angela Harding. This little book is a fine work of art and an ideal gift.

[Brigette Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable journey through the blossoming of Spring, Blossomise checked a lot of boxes for me - writing focused on seasonal transformation, haiku, woodcut illustrations - all combined into a nice package of poetry and visual art. Skeleton Tree was my favorite. A pleasant experience overall.

[J.M. Langan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are lovely, I liked the haiku's. I would have liked a little more from the poems. There was a lot about cherry blossom, perhaps some variation...apple blossom, maybe or am I missing the point?

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a gift from a good friend, which immediately makes a book like this special. It is only a slim volume, but the longer form poems were mostly very effective. And even though I am not a fan of haikus in general, some of these I actually liked!

[Gareth Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful poetic survey of Spring in all the season’s moods. Beautifully illustrated and presented. I read it through twice as soon as I bought it and know I will return to these concise and compelling poems time and again.
This is my first book by the poet laureate and it will not be my last.

[:¨·.·¨: `·. izzy ★°*ﾟ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I’d really enjoy this collection, but unfortunately none of these poems really did anything for me…

I get the theme was blossom but the poems felt very repetitive and they just didn’t elicit any emotion from me :/

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌸

"Poetry is in debt to the environment, having had its moneys worth of its use of nature as a byword for beauty or a pretty backdrop, and poetry must speak up for nature when it cannot speak for itself."

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking