Astonishment

by Anne Stevenson

Poetry Book Society Recommendation. Anne Stevenson is one of BritainOCOs leading poets. Astonishment, published just before her 80th birthday, is her second new collection since her much praised Bloodaxe retrospective Poems 1955-2005. Taking its title from Derek WalcottOCOs line, 'The perpetual ideal is astonishment', Anne StevensonOCOs sixteenth collection of poems looks back over eighty years of the earthOCOs never-ceasing turbulence, setting clearly remembered scenes from her personal past against a background of geographical and historical change. As always, her chief preoccupation is with the extraordinary nature of experience itself, and this she explores as a geologist might explore the rock layers beneath an urban surface relied upon by the senses, yet in the perspective of deep time acknowledged to be temporary and passing. As a poet who has always been anxious to balance imagination with insight and for whom the sound and shape of every poem is integral to its meaning, Stevenson views contemporary scientific and technological advance with a scepticOCOs compassion for its ecological and human cost. While in some poems she acknowledges her debt to writers such as Henry David Thoreau and Henry James, she carefully points out ways in which they anticipated the collapse of the world they valued. In others she demonstrates that a belief in scientific method and Darwinian evolution is in every way compatible with a sense of the sacred in the living world. Always what is most astonishing to her is that life exists at all, that the normal is also and amazingly the phenomenal. And although notes of poignant sadness, together with some witty assaults on human folly are sounded throughout this collection, its predominant tone is one of celebration. ?While Anne Stevenson is most certainly, and rightly, regarded as one of the major poets of our period, it has never been by virtue of this or that much anthologised poem, but by the work or mind as a whole. It is not so much a matter of the odd lightning-struck tree as of an entire landscape, and that landscape is always humane, intelligent and sane, composed of both natural and rational elements, and amply furnished with patches of wit and fury, which only serve to bring out the humanityOCO ? George Szirtes, London Magazine. ?One of the most important poets active in England today? she presents us with a complex reality where an intently sensory world inhabited by wilful resistant people is overlaid by ghosts, ideas, and spectral the historical, philosophical, and scientific ? all dimensions of what obviously isnOCOt there and yet canOCOt be deniedOCO ? Emily Grosholz, Michigan Quarterly."

Genres: Poetry

75 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Anne Stevenson was an American-British poet and biographer.

Reviews

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though Anne Stevenson has a few incredible word images/ideas in Astonishment (example "I eased my life down gently on the counter and asked for change./'How would you like it?' smiled the teller./'I'm sure we can arrange an equable return. Will you take it in days?'/ 'Summer days,' I suggested.), I really didn't enjoy the common theme of 80+ year old poet writing about the contrast in paper and screens, or similar commentary on current society. This is probably personal taste, but I read poetry for escapist imagery, and not for what feels like boomer-esque grumping.

Astonishment also contains several poems dedicated or related to a specific person whom I didn't know. So, it also seemed at times to be coded messages meant only for those specific individuals and not for me.

(shrugs)

[Caspar "moved to storygraph" Bryant]

maybe a random pick but a pleasant & highly competent collection no real duds in here I think she’s learned some good lessons from elizabeth bishop Anne can leap to images so convincingly so naturally she ought to be read more than she is

it held my interest all the way through !! which is more that can be said for some bigger poetry world names ! Particularly love the opening two poems The Loom & Constable Clouds which has a saucy wsg reference I’d look for more Anne !! she has my green light

[Matt Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some absolute crackers in here and some really poignant observations and bits of wisdom.

I particularly liked The Loom and The Password.

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stevenson has written books on Plath and Bishop and while she's not quite in their category herself as a poet I really enjoyed this collection.