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The Hazards
Spanning poems written in the United States, Central America, Europe, and Australia, The Hazards is a dazzling and inventive collection. Opening with a vision of a leveret’s agonizing death by myxomatosis and closing with a lover disappearing into dangerous waters, Holland-Batt reflects a predatory world rife with hazards, both real and imagined. Her cosmopolitan poems careen through diverse geographical territory—from haunted postcolonial landscapes in Australia to brutal animal hierarchies in the cloud forests of Nicaragua, the still Danish interiors of Hammershøi and the serial killer stalking Long Island Sound—and engage everywhere with questions of violence and loss, erasure, and extinction. Charged with Holland-Batt’s mercurial imagination and swift lyricism, this unsettling and darkly intelligent collection inhabits an uncertain world with a questioning eye and clear mind, unafraid to veer “straight into turbulence.”
- GenresPoetry
120 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2015
4 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Holland-Batt
34 books26 followersSarah Holland-Batt is the author of The Hazards (UQP, 2015), which won the poetry prize at the 2016 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, and Aria (UQP, 2008), which won the Thomas Shapcott Poetry Prize, the Arts ACT Judith Wright Award, and the FAW Anne Elder Award and was shortlisted in both the New South Wales and Queensland Premiers’ Literary Awards. She is presently a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the Queensland University of Technology and the poetry editor of Island.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 27, 2023
okay this is a solid 4.25 - approaching 4.5 star territory. Honestly could even be a 5 if I read it again.
a random pick from the poetry section (thx cat) and it was -mwa mwa- excellent.
some poems I obviously connected with more (as is to be expected), but I feel that once I travel a bit more I should go over them again, especially as so many of the poems seem to be directly influenced by the places they are written at or about. I think I preferred the first half of the collection more, though that is not to say that the rest is any worse in quality or beauty (and the last poem, which gives its name to the collection, is just excellent and I think about it frequently).
I truly believe that the author wrote these poems for themselves, and as such, it feels strange to make quantifying statements about them. but I suppose that's what ratings are for (oops).
anyways it was a really good collection, will be picking poetry off shelves randomly more often from now on.
a random pick from the poetry section (thx cat) and it was -mwa mwa- excellent.
some poems I obviously connected with more (as is to be expected), but I feel that once I travel a bit more I should go over them again, especially as so many of the poems seem to be directly influenced by the places they are written at or about. I think I preferred the first half of the collection more, though that is not to say that the rest is any worse in quality or beauty (and the last poem, which gives its name to the collection, is just excellent and I think about it frequently).
I truly believe that the author wrote these poems for themselves, and as such, it feels strange to make quantifying statements about them. but I suppose that's what ratings are for (oops).
anyways it was a really good collection, will be picking poetry off shelves randomly more often from now on.
July 20, 2016
I may review this properly at a later date as I have read this as part of my university course. But in short, this collection is quite a natural and stirring piece, with vivid images and colours that captivate your eye with the way that the words are worked into them.
Edit: 2oth July 2016. Proper Review.
One Eye Rolled to the Writing.
Sarah Holland-Batt: The Hazards
Queensland University Press, St Lucia, Queensland, 2015.
ISBN 9780702253591, pp. 120, $24.95
In searching for a rich new Australian poet to read, I stumbled across editor, critic, and poet Sarah Holland-Batt’s second book, The Hazards in my nearby Readings store. Immediately I was invited in by the simple and visually pleasing cover, of blue wave shapes on a white background, reminiscent of the language that follows.
Although I had not read Holland-Batt’s first book Aria, reading about the selection of literary awards it received such as the Anne Elder Award and the Thomas Shapcott Prize reassured me of the quality of her writing. And seeing that The Hazards was published by the University of Queensland Press in May 2015, on natural and renewable paper, I felt her connection to nature before even reaching the poems.
Holland-Batt opens her collection with the line “Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras” translating from German into “For all Flesh is as Grass.” This opening line encapsulates her entire message throughout The Hazards focusing on the lives of people, and their emotions and how everything connects to the landscape, lessons that echo with familiarity. In reaching the poems themselves, the reader is met with a series of four parts, marked by their roman numerical values, each containing poems that tie in together, discussions of landscape and history, animals, culture, and a series of ends. In reviewing her collection, I feel it is only fitting to mirror this intriguing and creative technique by looking at each section separately.
I
The first section seems to reflect on Australia and nature, and whilst the opening poem “Medusa” does not appear to link to this, it is instantly entrancing. It leaves a historical eeriness to Holland-Batt’s writing, each word carefully selected.
If I let my shadow cinch in,
whatever the soul is
billows out like hollow silk. (3)
Holland-Batt’s writing emits an essence of suffering across centuries, a warning of actions that impact the human soul. You are immediately shown, what hazards are present in life, such as love and colonisation, the collection’s title awakening within the reader. Further on warnings are reinforced, by a direct reference to colonisation. Within “An Illustrated History of Settlement” a sense of Australianness is evoked, which lingers throughout the section. The impact of European settlement upon Australian wildlife and landscape is questioned, through the sickening and vivid presentation of a dystopian atmosphere.
Then the last thing on the crosshatched horizon
is a smudge of centuries-dead parrots
in the shining black fruit of cabbage trees. (12)
In the first section, you are met with simple word choices and objects that combined with one another and their placement create insightful and powerful images. I felt as though the entire section was a dedication to Australia throughout time.
II
The second section is perhaps the easiest to read, each of the poems about a different animal, ranging from the toucan, to possum and even crab. These exotic animals, some of which were native to Queensland, where Holland-Batt has spent some of her life, create a sense of natural living and connection to the land. Within this section, the types of poems come to life with a list poem, such as “Three Sketches of a Favourite Cat.”
I
My moon-clawed killer
masquerades as jungle, mime-still
under the rackets of parrots (36)
Whilst the poem “Possum” mimics the scurrying of the Australian wildlife through its constant repetition.
roadside possum frozen in car zoom at nightfall,
possum careening on shaky legs,
turned roadside possum, possum playing possum
or possibly possum meet, stemmy eye hanging loose
Holland-Batt plays with line length and format of her poems the most within the second part of The Hazards often resembling the animalistic traits of each creature. It is here that her writing is the most captivating and memorable.
III
I found it quite difficult at first to narrow down why the poems of the third part were put together, as there were many links to love, culture and messages of hope. Within this part of her collection, Holland-Batt draws on a series of different places; Germany, Denmark, Prussia, and France. It can be difficult to connect with some of the poems in this section, if you have limited cultural experience, but the writing is moving, as objects are used to describe different things in inventive ways that may not have been considered before. This allows for some incredibly moving lines from various poems such as:
Somewhere in the lemon trees, a mourning dove
sings privately. Art is not enough, not nearly
enough, in a world not magnified by love. (56)
Holland-Batt’s writing is easy to become lost in, her descriptions and manipulation of language, leaving you with a myriad of emotions to be in awe of.
IV
Possibly the most impressive section in The Hazards, the fourth part questions endings and love as Holland-Batt puts to play the main message of her collection. Through short and sharp lines, she urges readers to show compassion and take care with things that can end or die, bodies returned to the earth. The section opens with two of the most powerful lines from the poem “Insurgency.” A sure reflection on the perils of the past and desire to change the future.
How perfect the past is.
Everything happens there once. (73)
Similarly, the last lines from “Ensign” embody her message to readers.
We have so little time left. We should love. (88)
Holland-Batt’s use of punctuation, full stops demand from readers that these lessons are learned, of aspirations for love and for protection of people and the landscape. And finishing with “The Hazards” as a poem, ignites her powerful concern for life.
The Hazards presents a variety of poems with ranging poetic techniques that appear to follow the same messages of love, life and nature. Holland-Batt makes remarkable word choices conjuring relatable and visual images. She has an incredibly unique writing style that is immediately mesmerising and plays on your tongue as you read it. Sometimes the poems may come across as being too descriptive, leaving readers feeling unintelligent and overwhelmed, but to the most part, Holland-Batt’s use of language is colourful enough to support her and carry the readers. The Hazards is a vibrant collection with a strong Australian voice unlike any other. Holland-Batt’s writing is nothing less than extraordinary.
Edit: 2oth July 2016. Proper Review.
One Eye Rolled to the Writing.
Sarah Holland-Batt: The Hazards
Queensland University Press, St Lucia, Queensland, 2015.
ISBN 9780702253591, pp. 120, $24.95
In searching for a rich new Australian poet to read, I stumbled across editor, critic, and poet Sarah Holland-Batt’s second book, The Hazards in my nearby Readings store. Immediately I was invited in by the simple and visually pleasing cover, of blue wave shapes on a white background, reminiscent of the language that follows.
Although I had not read Holland-Batt’s first book Aria, reading about the selection of literary awards it received such as the Anne Elder Award and the Thomas Shapcott Prize reassured me of the quality of her writing. And seeing that The Hazards was published by the University of Queensland Press in May 2015, on natural and renewable paper, I felt her connection to nature before even reaching the poems.
Holland-Batt opens her collection with the line “Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras” translating from German into “For all Flesh is as Grass.” This opening line encapsulates her entire message throughout The Hazards focusing on the lives of people, and their emotions and how everything connects to the landscape, lessons that echo with familiarity. In reaching the poems themselves, the reader is met with a series of four parts, marked by their roman numerical values, each containing poems that tie in together, discussions of landscape and history, animals, culture, and a series of ends. In reviewing her collection, I feel it is only fitting to mirror this intriguing and creative technique by looking at each section separately.
I
The first section seems to reflect on Australia and nature, and whilst the opening poem “Medusa” does not appear to link to this, it is instantly entrancing. It leaves a historical eeriness to Holland-Batt’s writing, each word carefully selected.
If I let my shadow cinch in,
whatever the soul is
billows out like hollow silk. (3)
Holland-Batt’s writing emits an essence of suffering across centuries, a warning of actions that impact the human soul. You are immediately shown, what hazards are present in life, such as love and colonisation, the collection’s title awakening within the reader. Further on warnings are reinforced, by a direct reference to colonisation. Within “An Illustrated History of Settlement” a sense of Australianness is evoked, which lingers throughout the section. The impact of European settlement upon Australian wildlife and landscape is questioned, through the sickening and vivid presentation of a dystopian atmosphere.
Then the last thing on the crosshatched horizon
is a smudge of centuries-dead parrots
in the shining black fruit of cabbage trees. (12)
In the first section, you are met with simple word choices and objects that combined with one another and their placement create insightful and powerful images. I felt as though the entire section was a dedication to Australia throughout time.
II
The second section is perhaps the easiest to read, each of the poems about a different animal, ranging from the toucan, to possum and even crab. These exotic animals, some of which were native to Queensland, where Holland-Batt has spent some of her life, create a sense of natural living and connection to the land. Within this section, the types of poems come to life with a list poem, such as “Three Sketches of a Favourite Cat.”
I
My moon-clawed killer
masquerades as jungle, mime-still
under the rackets of parrots (36)
Whilst the poem “Possum” mimics the scurrying of the Australian wildlife through its constant repetition.
roadside possum frozen in car zoom at nightfall,
possum careening on shaky legs,
turned roadside possum, possum playing possum
or possibly possum meet, stemmy eye hanging loose
Holland-Batt plays with line length and format of her poems the most within the second part of The Hazards often resembling the animalistic traits of each creature. It is here that her writing is the most captivating and memorable.
III
I found it quite difficult at first to narrow down why the poems of the third part were put together, as there were many links to love, culture and messages of hope. Within this part of her collection, Holland-Batt draws on a series of different places; Germany, Denmark, Prussia, and France. It can be difficult to connect with some of the poems in this section, if you have limited cultural experience, but the writing is moving, as objects are used to describe different things in inventive ways that may not have been considered before. This allows for some incredibly moving lines from various poems such as:
Somewhere in the lemon trees, a mourning dove
sings privately. Art is not enough, not nearly
enough, in a world not magnified by love. (56)
Holland-Batt’s writing is easy to become lost in, her descriptions and manipulation of language, leaving you with a myriad of emotions to be in awe of.
IV
Possibly the most impressive section in The Hazards, the fourth part questions endings and love as Holland-Batt puts to play the main message of her collection. Through short and sharp lines, she urges readers to show compassion and take care with things that can end or die, bodies returned to the earth. The section opens with two of the most powerful lines from the poem “Insurgency.” A sure reflection on the perils of the past and desire to change the future.
How perfect the past is.
Everything happens there once. (73)
Similarly, the last lines from “Ensign” embody her message to readers.
We have so little time left. We should love. (88)
Holland-Batt’s use of punctuation, full stops demand from readers that these lessons are learned, of aspirations for love and for protection of people and the landscape. And finishing with “The Hazards” as a poem, ignites her powerful concern for life.
The Hazards presents a variety of poems with ranging poetic techniques that appear to follow the same messages of love, life and nature. Holland-Batt makes remarkable word choices conjuring relatable and visual images. She has an incredibly unique writing style that is immediately mesmerising and plays on your tongue as you read it. Sometimes the poems may come across as being too descriptive, leaving readers feeling unintelligent and overwhelmed, but to the most part, Holland-Batt’s use of language is colourful enough to support her and carry the readers. The Hazards is a vibrant collection with a strong Australian voice unlike any other. Holland-Batt’s writing is nothing less than extraordinary.
June 29, 2025
A divine poetry collection, beautiful imagery and motifs.
December 6, 2025
Everything that can be lost is lost.
December 18, 2016
Reading beautiful poetry is like immersing yourself in water, one moment you are buoyed in a warm bath, the next you are being pummelled by strong waves; one moment you are drifting calmly in an ocean of words, the next you are drowning in a sea of emotion. Sarah Holland-Batt's award-winning collection The Hazards, published by UQP, is a journey of discovery. As you dip in and out of the poems, you are transported completely to another place, another time. There are some strong themes in The Hazards - and in fact the title suggests risk and danger, the submerged rocks hiding beneath the waves. The element of family and of generational history is celebrated; many poems are sparked by her memories of childhood. Unique Queensland attributes - the weather, the vegetation, the buildings, the fauna - are described in acute detail. One whole section is devoted to various animals and birds, sometimes used as metaphors, sometimes concise and vivid portraits of their characteristics and features. Foreign places, art and history are all referenced. Sarah has an enviable talent for putting together eclectic combinations of words and phrases that evoke distinct and colourful images. I find that poetry is like art, in that often, as a reader, it is difficult to express exactly what I like or admire about certain poetry, but 'I know it when I see it'. Sarah's poems are beautiful and enigmatic, when read aloud they are musical and lyrical, they are contemporary but also exude a classic grace. There is not an extraneous word or an unneeded line; each image is carefully chosen, meticulously placed, and seems to inhabit the page with effortless elegance. The Hazards would make the perfect Christmas gift for someone for whom you have no words; a poetic love letter, a literary kiss.
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October 6, 2025En este libro, Sarah observa y crea imagenes alrededor de la belleza y la violencia de distintos paisajes, en distintos continentes. Estos paisajes son a la vez físicos e internos. Creo que merece una segunda lectura para terminar de asimilar mejor porque hubo algunos poemas que se me hicieron muy retadores.
Algunos pensamientos sueltos:
- Los poemas a lo largo del libro están escritos en Australia, Europa, Estados Unidos y Centroamérica
- En ellos se exploran los peligros, como el título lo dice, que nos confrontan a todos. Los peligros que hay en el mero acto de la supervivencia.
- Al leerla en su idioma nativo, el inglés, los poemas adquieren una musicalidad y un ritmo interesante, gracias al uso de la aliteración y la asonancia, que se encuentra de manera muy frecuente.
- Me pareció un reto muy interesante de llevar al español, pero la traducción de Gabriel Ventura es hermosa. Resuelve unos poemas con tanta belleza y precisión, que me dieron ganas de sentarme con él a platicar y preguntarle por qué tomó ciertas decisiones o por qué se fue por ciertas palabras. Me deja claro que el trabajo del traductor es uno que va más allá de la traducción literal.
Algunos pensamientos sueltos:
- Los poemas a lo largo del libro están escritos en Australia, Europa, Estados Unidos y Centroamérica
- En ellos se exploran los peligros, como el título lo dice, que nos confrontan a todos. Los peligros que hay en el mero acto de la supervivencia.
- Al leerla en su idioma nativo, el inglés, los poemas adquieren una musicalidad y un ritmo interesante, gracias al uso de la aliteración y la asonancia, que se encuentra de manera muy frecuente.
- Me pareció un reto muy interesante de llevar al español, pero la traducción de Gabriel Ventura es hermosa. Resuelve unos poemas con tanta belleza y precisión, que me dieron ganas de sentarme con él a platicar y preguntarle por qué tomó ciertas decisiones o por qué se fue por ciertas palabras. Me deja claro que el trabajo del traductor es uno que va más allá de la traducción literal.
November 1, 2024
Medusa
I have always loved the translucent life,
the concentricities
blooming around me
in a ripple-ring of nerves.
If I let my shadow cinch in,
whatever the soul is
billows out like hollow silk.
Needle by needle, I plume
into the rays of an underwater moon,
climbing pure and poisonous
in the drift of marine snow.
Nothing hangs quite so empty.
See how my mind skates,
vain and clear as melting ice.
It contracts with a heart's pulse:
selfish, selfish.
I glide savage, a stinging chandelier,
a brain trailing its nettles
through the anemone swell
and forests of stiff sea fir.
Malice swarms through me in a surge.
I know that flare, that bitter reason.
And I will float and flower
in my season.
I have always loved the translucent life,
the concentricities
blooming around me
in a ripple-ring of nerves.
If I let my shadow cinch in,
whatever the soul is
billows out like hollow silk.
Needle by needle, I plume
into the rays of an underwater moon,
climbing pure and poisonous
in the drift of marine snow.
Nothing hangs quite so empty.
See how my mind skates,
vain and clear as melting ice.
It contracts with a heart's pulse:
selfish, selfish.
I glide savage, a stinging chandelier,
a brain trailing its nettles
through the anemone swell
and forests of stiff sea fir.
Malice swarms through me in a surge.
I know that flare, that bitter reason.
And I will float and flower
in my season.
January 22, 2025
A very satisfying preliminary read-through! I felt as though I was swimming through place, time, and emotion, uncovering looming secrets and turn-of-phrase or phonetic treasure-chests on the way. I resonated with few poems in the last third of this collection, unfortunately, but the remainder were certainly enthralling enough to warrant this rating. 'The Hazards' is eclectic and protean in a way that at times feels directionless, and yet this pervading and looming sense of doom - the titular 'hazards' of landscape, wilderness, animals, love - permeates SHB's collection in alternately delightfully haunting and vividly violent ways. This is a goldmine I'm certainly not at the bottom of, so studying it will be a treat.
April 2, 2024
Sarah Holland-Batt's kaleidoscopic collection is bound together by the ominous presence of danger and harm, exploring the internal and external dangers of life through a variety of subjects and landscapes. Holland-Batt's poignant lyricism captured me straight away and I intend to read more poetry from her !!
June 8, 2018
Beautifully explores the perils and fleeting nature of life but also the promise of home and survival.
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September 1, 2020‘Insurgency’ is an absolutely stunning poem.
‘Interbellum’, ‘Liebestraume’, ‘No End to Images’ (pharmaceutical clouds over Krakow, ooof), and ‘The Atlantic’ are incredible, too
‘Interbellum’, ‘Liebestraume’, ‘No End to Images’ (pharmaceutical clouds over Krakow, ooof), and ‘The Atlantic’ are incredible, too
January 30, 2022
Really liked it.
March 13, 2022
what started as airport poetry turned into torture
September 17, 2022
Amazing and surprising imagery throughout this collection, at once deeply personal/exclusively private and universal (suggested through the global scale of the poems).
March 20, 2023
Really enjoyed some of these, and found others to be inaccessible. I am excited to revisit the travel poems and dig into them more.
May 25, 2025
Poetry is not my thing so take this review with a grain of salt lol… but these poems - while I can appreciate that many are quite well written - the meaning behind them is so convoluted and hard to comprehend THUS was not an enjoyable reading experience 😢
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews