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Honeyvoiced
140 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 1, 2018
A collection of poems inspired by Sappho's fragments. These are so lovely, so well done, so much in the spirit of the originals, but with Alonso's own voice clear and bright throughout. Definitely recommended.
March 10, 2026
"Dip into me" Fragment 141, p. 66
Jordi Alonso's homage collection to Greek poet Sappho and the sensual-erotic tradition is a warm embrace even for those clueless on Greek histories, such as myself. The woman-woman love champion Sappho ("saphhic" from her namesake; "lesbian," from her home on Lesbos island), whose poetry birthed a new exploration of love, is thoroughly appreciated in Alonso's work.
Alonso blends the personal and the historical, making me wonder where Sappho ends and he begins. He uses her fragments, since much of her work is lost to history, and imagines the work in its full form. Though, it is not complete imitation, rather interpretation. My favorite fragments in the collection are #40, 46, 52, 110, and 141.
Alonso is heavy on themes that are now quite cliche: smörgåsbord of food (honey, fruits, figs, milk, wines), flowers and shrubs, and various intimate movement (dribble, flowing, dancing, embracing). But the cliches don't feel tiresome or old. Although, after a while, you might get hungry--in more ways than one.* WINK *
I can say, though, as a non-expert on Greek histories and religions, I am missing bits and pieces of what makes Alonso's work so great. This is very much a collection for the expert and the enthusiast.
I admit I am so removed from the base material and its allusions, that there are inevitable holes in my comprehensio of Alonso's full message and imagery. But nonetheless, I enjoyed it still. Going back to do even minor, surface level learning on specific locations, religious ("mythological") figures, and other references was a real treat especially when I was able to return to the work and connect it all back Honeyvoiced.
If you want to explore Sappho, sensual and lyrical poetics, or just classics/classical study, Honeyvoiced is where you need to be.
Jordi Alonso's homage collection to Greek poet Sappho and the sensual-erotic tradition is a warm embrace even for those clueless on Greek histories, such as myself. The woman-woman love champion Sappho ("saphhic" from her namesake; "lesbian," from her home on Lesbos island), whose poetry birthed a new exploration of love, is thoroughly appreciated in Alonso's work.
Alonso blends the personal and the historical, making me wonder where Sappho ends and he begins. He uses her fragments, since much of her work is lost to history, and imagines the work in its full form. Though, it is not complete imitation, rather interpretation. My favorite fragments in the collection are #40, 46, 52, 110, and 141.
Alonso is heavy on themes that are now quite cliche: smörgåsbord of food (honey, fruits, figs, milk, wines), flowers and shrubs, and various intimate movement (dribble, flowing, dancing, embracing). But the cliches don't feel tiresome or old. Although, after a while, you might get hungry--in more ways than one.* WINK *
I can say, though, as a non-expert on Greek histories and religions, I am missing bits and pieces of what makes Alonso's work so great. This is very much a collection for the expert and the enthusiast.
I admit I am so removed from the base material and its allusions, that there are inevitable holes in my comprehensio of Alonso's full message and imagery. But nonetheless, I enjoyed it still. Going back to do even minor, surface level learning on specific locations, religious ("mythological") figures, and other references was a real treat especially when I was able to return to the work and connect it all back Honeyvoiced.
If you want to explore Sappho, sensual and lyrical poetics, or just classics/classical study, Honeyvoiced is where you need to be.
April 5, 2015
Imagine Sappho, channeled through a young man, a poet himself, who is in love with language (this is a man who taught himself ancient Greek in order to better savor his beloved Sappho) and with love itself, and with food and friends and stumbling happily homeward at dawn with wine on his breath and a lover on his mind. Imagine perfect white stones on a Greek beach, and a bowl of bright berries beside them, or staring up at the stars from the beach on a clear summer night with a new friend who may become a lover. These are the best ways I can think of to describe the poems of Honeyvoiced, although Willis Barnstone, the revered poet and translator of Sappho, the New Testament, and much more, has done an excellent job of it himself--no small honor for a poet of any age. Each line is fresh, spare, and vivid, and the poems--like Sappho's fragments, which inspire Alonso's--are delightfully intimate and often playful. Honeyvoiced is a delicate, delicious treat.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews