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Requiem: In Memory of All That Should Have Been
Through its 211 interwoven poems, this double-tiered recursive crown of sonnets takes the listener on an epic journey to the heart of mankind’s would-be nemesis - herself - and back again. Does her destiny await in the unexplored depths of the cosmos, or in a toxic wasteland of her own making? Does she have the will to shape her own future, or is she a slave to her myopic wants and impulses?
Requiem takes the existential threats facing humanity - from the destruction of the environment to nuclear holocaust - as a lens through which to reflect on the fate of civilization, humanity and ultimately conscious life in the universe.
Requiem takes the existential threats facing humanity - from the destruction of the environment to nuclear holocaust - as a lens through which to reflect on the fate of civilization, humanity and ultimately conscious life in the universe.
- GenresPoetry
Audible Audio
Published February 12, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 8, 2021
The only other collection of Sonnets I've read is Shakespeare's. One would think that any other would pale by comparison. But this is one impressive collection. A stand-out among all the poetry I've read. Flipping quickly through the book, you will see that the hands of a clock on the pages turn with each leaf, and with this accompanying image of time, you set out on journey into an uncommonly compelling world. In a way, I was reminded of Clark Ashton Smith's fantastic, imagistic poetry.
Thrilling, rich, and properly metered lyric sonnets, dense with imagery and sonic resonance. Here is a brief quote:
"In dreams we miss a paradise thought lost
To wake and carry out its holocaust-- "
The pithy phrases and philosophic metaphors and motifs recur with startling regularity. There is a lot to be gained from reading this work. It is composed of carefully wrought poems, interwoven with addictive, dreamlike rhythms. The style is not tiresome or boring, even after 211 examples of the same structure. The blended mythologies and intimate portraits are both memorable and surreal.
For lovers of splendid writing, hidden morals, and interplays of grand themes, give this singular work a try.
Thrilling, rich, and properly metered lyric sonnets, dense with imagery and sonic resonance. Here is a brief quote:
"In dreams we miss a paradise thought lost
To wake and carry out its holocaust-- "
The pithy phrases and philosophic metaphors and motifs recur with startling regularity. There is a lot to be gained from reading this work. It is composed of carefully wrought poems, interwoven with addictive, dreamlike rhythms. The style is not tiresome or boring, even after 211 examples of the same structure. The blended mythologies and intimate portraits are both memorable and surreal.
For lovers of splendid writing, hidden morals, and interplays of grand themes, give this singular work a try.
March 3, 2021
Requiem is like nothing else I have ever read. Told through sonnets, the overarching story follows a she-giant through her various thoughts and contemplations as she considers what it really means to craft her own destiny and be alive.
In such brief 14 line segments of writing, Ståhl quickly builds up an atmosphere that I found incredibly intoxicating – at times its apocalyptic, in places it offers futuristic hope. The undercurrent of dystopia running through each sonnet really emphasised the internal predicaments and turmoil of the she-giant’s musings and I found myself almost picturing her standing in some Mount Doom-esque landscape just watching the world fall to bits around her – that imagery was intensely vivid and brought about by such powerful language and expression. At times, I found the whole arc of the character’s journey to be slightly on the abstract side (for my own brain!), but it was a nice feeling just be swept away by Daniel’s writing. You cannot help but be drawn into this she-giant’s story, to experience her feelings and despair and then develop this sense of empathy and desire for her to rescue herself.
“Are we witnessing the beginning of the end, or merely the end of the beginning?”
As we wind our way through each sonnet, the continuous countdown of the clock on the pages between each poem heightens that build up of tension and the sense of heading towards something that we may never come back from. In our modern days where we are only now seeing the devastating impacts our industrial and digital revolutions have on planet earth and the natural world (and having recently read David Attenborough’s A Life on Our Planet), I couldn’t help but transpose that real world sense of crisis into the narrative that Ståhl was weaving; the sense that on some futuristic level ‘this’ could be the fate of mankind made for a quite heady reading experience.
For me though, the absolute gem of this whole book was the sheer intricacy, detail and conception of the whole thing. With an English Lit degree, I’m no stranger to sonnets – but a crown of sonnets…? This was an entirely new reading experience for me and I was so grateful for Daniel’s concise breakdown and explanation at the start of his work to help me understand how this collection was constructed. Even then, my comprehension of what was actually unfolding between each crown, then each master sonnet, and how they seamlessly moulded and pulled everything preceding together took a little time for me to fully realise its impact, but when the light bulb went off… wow! By the time I got to the very final page, my excitement at the grand unveiling had reached fever pitch and my mind was well and truly blown. The dedicated and meticulous planning that went into crafting these double-tiered recursive crowns and the mechanics at how it all fits together like some grand poetic jigsaw puzzle is like nothing I have ever read before – I don’t really want to give any spoilers away by revealing more because discovering it for yourself is just so mesmerising.
Requiem really is a stunning work of art. You don’t have to be an avid poetry fan to find something here to enjoy. Whether you’re a reader looking for something different and new, you’re intrigued by how to survive a future that could be apocalyptic and dystopian; you appreciate the technical and structural aspects an author employs when crafting of a piece of writing – there is so much to be entranced by and fall in love with between the pages of Requiem.
In such brief 14 line segments of writing, Ståhl quickly builds up an atmosphere that I found incredibly intoxicating – at times its apocalyptic, in places it offers futuristic hope. The undercurrent of dystopia running through each sonnet really emphasised the internal predicaments and turmoil of the she-giant’s musings and I found myself almost picturing her standing in some Mount Doom-esque landscape just watching the world fall to bits around her – that imagery was intensely vivid and brought about by such powerful language and expression. At times, I found the whole arc of the character’s journey to be slightly on the abstract side (for my own brain!), but it was a nice feeling just be swept away by Daniel’s writing. You cannot help but be drawn into this she-giant’s story, to experience her feelings and despair and then develop this sense of empathy and desire for her to rescue herself.
“Are we witnessing the beginning of the end, or merely the end of the beginning?”
As we wind our way through each sonnet, the continuous countdown of the clock on the pages between each poem heightens that build up of tension and the sense of heading towards something that we may never come back from. In our modern days where we are only now seeing the devastating impacts our industrial and digital revolutions have on planet earth and the natural world (and having recently read David Attenborough’s A Life on Our Planet), I couldn’t help but transpose that real world sense of crisis into the narrative that Ståhl was weaving; the sense that on some futuristic level ‘this’ could be the fate of mankind made for a quite heady reading experience.
For me though, the absolute gem of this whole book was the sheer intricacy, detail and conception of the whole thing. With an English Lit degree, I’m no stranger to sonnets – but a crown of sonnets…? This was an entirely new reading experience for me and I was so grateful for Daniel’s concise breakdown and explanation at the start of his work to help me understand how this collection was constructed. Even then, my comprehension of what was actually unfolding between each crown, then each master sonnet, and how they seamlessly moulded and pulled everything preceding together took a little time for me to fully realise its impact, but when the light bulb went off… wow! By the time I got to the very final page, my excitement at the grand unveiling had reached fever pitch and my mind was well and truly blown. The dedicated and meticulous planning that went into crafting these double-tiered recursive crowns and the mechanics at how it all fits together like some grand poetic jigsaw puzzle is like nothing I have ever read before – I don’t really want to give any spoilers away by revealing more because discovering it for yourself is just so mesmerising.
Requiem really is a stunning work of art. You don’t have to be an avid poetry fan to find something here to enjoy. Whether you’re a reader looking for something different and new, you’re intrigued by how to survive a future that could be apocalyptic and dystopian; you appreciate the technical and structural aspects an author employs when crafting of a piece of writing – there is so much to be entranced by and fall in love with between the pages of Requiem.
January 8, 2021
A full book of sonnets is pretty heavy reading for most people, including me. However, the quality of the writing is well above that of most poetry I am asked to review.
Recommended for students and lovers of serious poetry.
Recommended for students and lovers of serious poetry.
May 31, 2021
Requiem is a book of 211 sonnets. These sonnets are arranged into crowns, where each poem is connected to the next by the rhymes of the last and first lines. In this collection, each crown has fourteen joined sonnets which is completed by a master sonnet whose lines comprise of the first line of the preceding fourteen sonnets. This is known as a heroic crown structure and Requiem consists of fourteen heroic crowns.
Requiem provides a masterclass in sonnet writing. It’s technically pretty flawless and that is a monumental achievement in itself. There are a couple of fingertip stretches with the meter, but barely noticeable, and sometimes a touch of excess repetition but the form is recursive, so duplication is key.
The basic theme that weaves through the collection is mankind’s wanton self-destruction and ignorance. Each of the crowns deal with slightly differing areas within that remit. The first introduces us to the metaphorical Giant who features in many of the poems. This beginning crown is concerned with materialism and ecological demolition. The third crown deals with human traffic, the fourth sonnet of which was really powerful. The fourth has more pinpoint focus and some compelling lines. The fifth becomes darker and preoccupied with death and decay but the contrast with a ‘butterfly’s soft flutter’ as the end of V.5 was subtle yet effective as was the poignant last line of V.9.
As we move through the collection, the mood swells into biblical anger and by the time we reach the seventh and eighth crown, there is a brutal, unflinching quality to the writing and some of the imagery evolves into pure horror. At this stage, there were tonal elements of Paradise Lost and an echo of Pandora’s Box being opened. However, the ninth crown provides the hope. There is a softening, a turning of the fire and brimstone message into the possibility of salvation and/or progress, if mankind heeds, listens and acts. The crowns following are slightly different and more subjective. There is stronger, almost satirical reference to modern technological trappings, ‘scroll through your feed’ (X.9) whereas the preceding sonnets had a timeless approach.
The master sonnets at the end of each heroic crown are sublime and so wonderfully considered. They really do bring all the strands together in one wholly coherent, meaningful poem that provides a beautifully concise snapshot of the foregoing fourteen. It demonstrates an exceptional level of thought and attention to detail.
Requiem is littered with mythological references. These are not overdone or indulgent, however, and I thought it was refreshing different cultural myths, other than the usual classical tropes, were included; from efreet, an Islamic devil to Norse mythology and a whiff of medieval legend by way of Faust.
The editing is faultless and the placement of the moving clock before each sonnet was inspired. It resonates on so many levels as you read through and becomes an integral part of each poem not just representing the passage of time. Further, the introductory pages, ‘readme’, are thoughtfully written. This book and its content can seem daunting, but the poet succinctly explains the concepts without being patronizing or lofty, thereby making it fully accessible.
Requiem provides a masterclass in sonnet writing. It’s technically pretty flawless and that is a monumental achievement in itself. There are a couple of fingertip stretches with the meter, but barely noticeable, and sometimes a touch of excess repetition but the form is recursive, so duplication is key.
The basic theme that weaves through the collection is mankind’s wanton self-destruction and ignorance. Each of the crowns deal with slightly differing areas within that remit. The first introduces us to the metaphorical Giant who features in many of the poems. This beginning crown is concerned with materialism and ecological demolition. The third crown deals with human traffic, the fourth sonnet of which was really powerful. The fourth has more pinpoint focus and some compelling lines. The fifth becomes darker and preoccupied with death and decay but the contrast with a ‘butterfly’s soft flutter’ as the end of V.5 was subtle yet effective as was the poignant last line of V.9.
As we move through the collection, the mood swells into biblical anger and by the time we reach the seventh and eighth crown, there is a brutal, unflinching quality to the writing and some of the imagery evolves into pure horror. At this stage, there were tonal elements of Paradise Lost and an echo of Pandora’s Box being opened. However, the ninth crown provides the hope. There is a softening, a turning of the fire and brimstone message into the possibility of salvation and/or progress, if mankind heeds, listens and acts. The crowns following are slightly different and more subjective. There is stronger, almost satirical reference to modern technological trappings, ‘scroll through your feed’ (X.9) whereas the preceding sonnets had a timeless approach.
The master sonnets at the end of each heroic crown are sublime and so wonderfully considered. They really do bring all the strands together in one wholly coherent, meaningful poem that provides a beautifully concise snapshot of the foregoing fourteen. It demonstrates an exceptional level of thought and attention to detail.
Requiem is littered with mythological references. These are not overdone or indulgent, however, and I thought it was refreshing different cultural myths, other than the usual classical tropes, were included; from efreet, an Islamic devil to Norse mythology and a whiff of medieval legend by way of Faust.
The editing is faultless and the placement of the moving clock before each sonnet was inspired. It resonates on so many levels as you read through and becomes an integral part of each poem not just representing the passage of time. Further, the introductory pages, ‘readme’, are thoughtfully written. This book and its content can seem daunting, but the poet succinctly explains the concepts without being patronizing or lofty, thereby making it fully accessible.
May 5, 2021
A wonderfully put together collection of poems. They are interwoven in a way that connects them and really does make for a cohesive piece.
Powerful, beautiful, honest, and real. So much more than I was expecting.
Powerful, beautiful, honest, and real. So much more than I was expecting.
August 30, 2021
"Yet destiny's a game of chance played blind
A game with no undo and no rewind"
Grateful and honoured did I feel when I was offered this book by the author himself, who happens to be the father of my son's best friend. To be honest, though I am an enthusiastic and experienced reader and big fan of literature, I must admit reading poetry threw me right out of my comfort zone and this is not be something I would spontaneously pick to read. I would have missed out on a lot, as this turned out to be a great reading experience.
First of all, regardless of the content of the sonnets, just the way the collection of the sonnets is written is of a standard I have never witnessed before. Not only are the sonnets brilliant in themselves, on top of that are they neatly woven together, by making the first line of a new sonnet rhyme with the last of the previous one, and on top of that, each crown of 14 sonnets is followed by a 15th one, consisting of the first verses of the 14 previous ones. Just making all that work must have taken hours to write and shows the technical writing skills of the author.
And then the content. What to say.... when I started reading I didn't know what to expect, and when I finished reading I was still unsure if I captured everything that was told, but I do know that somehow, the atmosphere in the sonnets kept pulling me back to the book, to keep on reading. There are, I believe so many layers in these sonnets, that there is something for everyone to get out of this. At times apocalyptical, at times rather optimistical, the book touches - for me, at least - upon themes such as mortality, human kind, our footprint on the environment, war (e.g. current situation in Afghanistan), intelligence and how that is looked upon, procreation, the use and impact of social media... Just to name a few.
"We self-indulgent thankless passengers
We mindlessly presume to reproduce
From dawns long past we are but messengers
But for our toil there is no pledge, no use"
"For what avail's a prize that can't be had
We'd sooner burn to ash what we can't win
Than watch out neighbour to his trappings add
Another piece, another jeweled pin"
The sonnets are written in such a way, hinting at topics and at the same time leaving a lot for the reader to fill in, that 1000 people will read 1000 different things into it, depending on the situation they are in. I find that fascinating and interesting.
A challenging read, requiring effort and time, but it is effort and time well spent.
A game with no undo and no rewind"
Grateful and honoured did I feel when I was offered this book by the author himself, who happens to be the father of my son's best friend. To be honest, though I am an enthusiastic and experienced reader and big fan of literature, I must admit reading poetry threw me right out of my comfort zone and this is not be something I would spontaneously pick to read. I would have missed out on a lot, as this turned out to be a great reading experience.
First of all, regardless of the content of the sonnets, just the way the collection of the sonnets is written is of a standard I have never witnessed before. Not only are the sonnets brilliant in themselves, on top of that are they neatly woven together, by making the first line of a new sonnet rhyme with the last of the previous one, and on top of that, each crown of 14 sonnets is followed by a 15th one, consisting of the first verses of the 14 previous ones. Just making all that work must have taken hours to write and shows the technical writing skills of the author.
And then the content. What to say.... when I started reading I didn't know what to expect, and when I finished reading I was still unsure if I captured everything that was told, but I do know that somehow, the atmosphere in the sonnets kept pulling me back to the book, to keep on reading. There are, I believe so many layers in these sonnets, that there is something for everyone to get out of this. At times apocalyptical, at times rather optimistical, the book touches - for me, at least - upon themes such as mortality, human kind, our footprint on the environment, war (e.g. current situation in Afghanistan), intelligence and how that is looked upon, procreation, the use and impact of social media... Just to name a few.
"We self-indulgent thankless passengers
We mindlessly presume to reproduce
From dawns long past we are but messengers
But for our toil there is no pledge, no use"
"For what avail's a prize that can't be had
We'd sooner burn to ash what we can't win
Than watch out neighbour to his trappings add
Another piece, another jeweled pin"
The sonnets are written in such a way, hinting at topics and at the same time leaving a lot for the reader to fill in, that 1000 people will read 1000 different things into it, depending on the situation they are in. I find that fascinating and interesting.
A challenging read, requiring effort and time, but it is effort and time well spent.
April 29, 2021
Reading this really made me appreciate how much the author put into it. His mind works in a great way and the way he was able to bring such important topics together and weave the poems together really is fascinating.
A book of poetry that is compelling, makes you thing, and at the heart just beautiful.
A book of poetry that is compelling, makes you thing, and at the heart just beautiful.
April 30, 2021
Poetry is subjective as an art and will hit everyone in a different way. This collection has something for everyone yet everything is tied together. It's really beautifully done. It makes the reader think, it's not all rainbows and butterflies, it has us think on a deeper level, which I loved.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews