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Still the Dawn: Poems and Ballads
Still the Dawn. A book of poems and ballads.
Poems written to preserve memories, explore moods, emotions, art, myths, real events and dreams, together with some attempts at light verse, even nonsense.
Ballads that tell tales, reflect on the seasons, time and its passing.
The poet enters the mead hall, un-lids his word hoard, recites. He shares his gift.
Those who attend to his works, he hopes to entertain.
Poems written to preserve memories, explore moods, emotions, art, myths, real events and dreams, together with some attempts at light verse, even nonsense.
Ballads that tell tales, reflect on the seasons, time and its passing.
The poet enters the mead hall, un-lids his word hoard, recites. He shares his gift.
Those who attend to his works, he hopes to entertain.
- GenresPoetry
181 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2015
1 person is currently reading
468 people want to read
About the author
Philip Dodd
5 books158 followersI was born in 1952 in Liverpool, England, have a degree in English literature from Newcastle University, and I have been writing songs, stories and poems since I was twelve. In October, 2016, I married Anahit Arustamyan, poet of Armenia, in her home city, Yerevan, Armenia. Angel War is my first published novel. I was thirty four when I first began to write it in 1986 and I was sixty when I completed the final version of it in September, 2012. As it took me twenty six years to write, I felt I owed it to my story to get it published. Angel War was chosen as one of the finalists in The Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards for 2013, I am very surprised and happy to report. The Gold, Silver and Bronze medallists were announced in April, 2014 at Author.con.I have had poems published in my local newspaper, the Liverpool Echo, and one of my poems,'Searching For The Sangreal' was published in the Summer 2013 issue of The Dawntreader, a quarterly poetry magazine, published by Indigo Dreams Publishing. The Fair Majesty of Folk At Peace, another one of my poems, was published in the Spring 2014 issue, another two, Sigurd and Windmill and Rainbow in the Winter 2014/2015 issue, Blodeuwedd in the Spring 2015 issue and Enki in the autumn issue of the same magazine . My poem, Winter Night, was published in the Winter 2018/19 issue of the same magazine. Three of my poems, A Tale From A Bestiary Found In A Bazaar, Sand and Dust, and Iceberg were accepted for publication in Nomad's Choir, a quarterly poetry journal, published in New York, U.S.A. My poem, Song For Luthien Tinuviel, was published in Mallorn, the Journal of the Tolkien Society, Issue 55, Winter 2014. My poem, The Redundancy of Gods, was published in Greek Fire, an anthology of poems inspired by Greek mythology, published by Lost Tower Publications in June, 2015, and my poem, Dandelion Time, was published in The Poetry of Flowers, published by Lost Tower Publications in October, 2016. My poem, Riddle Of The Root Of War, was published in Beyond The Hill, an anthology of war poetry, published in 2017 by Lost Tower Publications. Some of my poems can be read on my blog, Philip Dodd: Author of Angel War: http://astro7747.wordpress. com My light-hearted science fiction story, Klubbe the Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle, was published in March, 2015 by Publish Nation. In October, 2015, it was chosen by indieBRAG as a Medallion Honoree and was listed on the Science Fiction page on Medallion Books on the website: http://www.bragmedallion.com/medallio... In February, 2016, it was chosen as a Finalist in the Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards for 2015. Still the Dawn : Poems and Ballads was published in October, 2015. It contains 109 works, written between the years of 1983 and 2015. Published as a paperback and Kindle Version by Publish Nation. Last Flocks of the Geese, my second book of poems, was published in February, 2019. Harvey's Hutch, a memoir, was published by Mereo Books on Thursday, 11th, August, 2022. It was a Red Ribbon Winner in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards for 2022, I am pleased to say.
I have published some of my poems on the website: writing.com. My poem, Enki, was published in the July, 2013, edition of the online magazine, Pagan Pages. After July, it will be stored on their Archives page.
Angel War Inspirations, a board of prints I collected that are linked to my book, Angel War, can be found on Pinterest, as can Klubbe the Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle, a board of prints linked to my Klubbe story, and Chimneys and Clouds, a board of prints linked to my poems. Here is my Pinterest user name: http://pinterest.com/jom777jal43x641
Dawn Of An Idea, Chapter One, and The Ancient Parrot, Chapter Two, of my story, Klubbe the Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle, The Making Of The Pattern and The Archangel Brothers, the first two chapters of Angel War, and some of my poems can be read on Wattpad.
I have published some of my poems on the website: writing.com. My poem, Enki, was published in the July, 2013, edition of the online magazine, Pagan Pages. After July, it will be stored on their Archives page.
Angel War Inspirations, a board of prints I collected that are linked to my book, Angel War, can be found on Pinterest, as can Klubbe the Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle, a board of prints linked to my Klubbe story, and Chimneys and Clouds, a board of prints linked to my poems. Here is my Pinterest user name: http://pinterest.com/jom777jal43x641
Dawn Of An Idea, Chapter One, and The Ancient Parrot, Chapter Two, of my story, Klubbe the Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle, The Making Of The Pattern and The Archangel Brothers, the first two chapters of Angel War, and some of my poems can be read on Wattpad.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 18, 2020
My rating 4.7
The book of poetry “Still the Dawn: Poems and Ballads” by Philip Dodd is a serious and refined collection of poems and ballads in which the poet’s soul is revealed through verse. The poet Philip Dodd is an excellent connoisseur of the English language and in his poems, we discover all the beauty of the written word. Verses flow through his book of poetry, about re-examining love, missed opportunities, childhood, the past, sadness, disappointments, history, spirituality, and as you read it you will enter the world of pure art. Lovers of poetry will enjoy this source of words of an excellent poet who leaves his thoughts on white paper to readers. The essence of poetry is to intrigue and re-examine the world around it, and Philip does this with the ease of someone who sees deeper than reality because he is a true artist of words. Poems that made an impression on me:
The Glass Mountain Melody
Song of Gabriel
Hardangervidda
A lost summer ode
Prism
Always my muse
What the shepherd saw
and many more.
Lovers of poetry and the written word will surely enjoy this collection.
The book of poetry “Still the Dawn: Poems and Ballads” by Philip Dodd is a serious and refined collection of poems and ballads in which the poet’s soul is revealed through verse. The poet Philip Dodd is an excellent connoisseur of the English language and in his poems, we discover all the beauty of the written word. Verses flow through his book of poetry, about re-examining love, missed opportunities, childhood, the past, sadness, disappointments, history, spirituality, and as you read it you will enter the world of pure art. Lovers of poetry will enjoy this source of words of an excellent poet who leaves his thoughts on white paper to readers. The essence of poetry is to intrigue and re-examine the world around it, and Philip does this with the ease of someone who sees deeper than reality because he is a true artist of words. Poems that made an impression on me:
The Glass Mountain Melody
Song of Gabriel
Hardangervidda
A lost summer ode
Prism
Always my muse
What the shepherd saw
and many more.
Lovers of poetry and the written word will surely enjoy this collection.
March 6, 2017
Still The Dawn is one of the best poetry books I have ever read. Wonderful pieces of poetry are included in this book. Philip Dodd is a great author. His creative writing inspires most readers all over the world. His works are masterpieces. Philip Dodd's great talent creates fantastic poems and prose. His powerful ink creates masterpieces.
February 24, 2017
It took me about six weeks to read this book of poems by Philip Dodd, which was good value. It's hardly a slim volume of crisp verse. More like a cornucopia, a two-pound box of Licorice Allsorts, some soft and easy to scrunch, others hard and chewy. In this volume, Dodd gets through family history, Greek and Norse Myth, fantasy, kids stuff, romance, humour & philosophy with seldom more than three - and never more than four - consecutive pieces of the same type or on the same theme.
Usually, I get through a book of poetry at a single two-hour sitting, and this is my preferred mode. Poems put together for publishing house editors conform to one unity or another, to make up a marketable package that consumers can take in measured bites. Reading such books, for me, has become rather like listening to new symphonies or music albums, or watching a new video. I suspect I'm not alone in this. I seldom read poetry at bedtime, like I do chapters of novels or biographies. I don't want chapters in my verse reading, preferring (unlike Larkin's man-under-toad) to get hook, line and sinker all at one sitting.
So reading Mr Dodd's work was quite a different experience. I think the author has put together his own Collected Works and published it as his first. By doing this, what he's given us is a sort of self portrait in verse.
While I think much of this verse is modern, in terms of its various viewpoints and subject matters, on the other hand there are many pieces here which are rooted in tradition. Again, this makes for an unique type of diversity in one volume. The verse forms, however, are mostly familiar looking; and Mr Dodd does like to use rhyme. Occasionally this leads him into the tuppence zone, and - to the sheer horror of Moderists - inversion. Surprisingly, inversion mostly works well here. For example, in the last lines of, “For A Pair Of Grass Parakeets” –
“When I was a boy on the shore,
And with my kite I flew.”
Elsewhere, inversion leads to syntax problems, which is more problematic. For example, these lines from “Embarkations” –
“Embarkations the wind remembers
that blows against the harbour wall.”
Some readers will find putting the clause in the second line awkward - or annoying - because in conventional terns it should follow “wind”, and it is rather difficult to read these lines in a conventional way. Nevertheless, I think in this case they work by mimicking a speech pattern. This is the voice of someone unconcerned about putting the cart before the horse. To read these lines aloud is one way of hearing their composer’s voice.
A final point on cultural references, with which “Still The Dawn” abounds. In “The Riddle of Samson” many readers may not get the reference to the lion on the tin of Lyle’s golden syrup, nor the motto, “Out of the strong came forth sweetness”. I think this is a case for illustrating a poem with a photo (picking up a sponsorship deal on the way).
To sum up, I recommend “Still The Dawn” unreservedly as a good value read for anyone who doesn't let preconceived prejudices about what poetry is - or should be - get in the way of enjoyment.
Usually, I get through a book of poetry at a single two-hour sitting, and this is my preferred mode. Poems put together for publishing house editors conform to one unity or another, to make up a marketable package that consumers can take in measured bites. Reading such books, for me, has become rather like listening to new symphonies or music albums, or watching a new video. I suspect I'm not alone in this. I seldom read poetry at bedtime, like I do chapters of novels or biographies. I don't want chapters in my verse reading, preferring (unlike Larkin's man-under-toad) to get hook, line and sinker all at one sitting.
So reading Mr Dodd's work was quite a different experience. I think the author has put together his own Collected Works and published it as his first. By doing this, what he's given us is a sort of self portrait in verse.
While I think much of this verse is modern, in terms of its various viewpoints and subject matters, on the other hand there are many pieces here which are rooted in tradition. Again, this makes for an unique type of diversity in one volume. The verse forms, however, are mostly familiar looking; and Mr Dodd does like to use rhyme. Occasionally this leads him into the tuppence zone, and - to the sheer horror of Moderists - inversion. Surprisingly, inversion mostly works well here. For example, in the last lines of, “For A Pair Of Grass Parakeets” –
“When I was a boy on the shore,
And with my kite I flew.”
Elsewhere, inversion leads to syntax problems, which is more problematic. For example, these lines from “Embarkations” –
“Embarkations the wind remembers
that blows against the harbour wall.”
Some readers will find putting the clause in the second line awkward - or annoying - because in conventional terns it should follow “wind”, and it is rather difficult to read these lines in a conventional way. Nevertheless, I think in this case they work by mimicking a speech pattern. This is the voice of someone unconcerned about putting the cart before the horse. To read these lines aloud is one way of hearing their composer’s voice.
A final point on cultural references, with which “Still The Dawn” abounds. In “The Riddle of Samson” many readers may not get the reference to the lion on the tin of Lyle’s golden syrup, nor the motto, “Out of the strong came forth sweetness”. I think this is a case for illustrating a poem with a photo (picking up a sponsorship deal on the way).
To sum up, I recommend “Still The Dawn” unreservedly as a good value read for anyone who doesn't let preconceived prejudices about what poetry is - or should be - get in the way of enjoyment.
May 8, 2020
'Still the Dawn' is an excellent collection of poems for poetry lovers to lose themselves in. It is totally absorbing, full of beautiful feelings, beautiful thoughts, beautiful memories, mythology and art. There are odes, songs, ballads - the reader is spoilt for choice. The writing is clear and unambiguous so even the longer poems are easily read.
Like I said you can lose yourself in this book. I lost myself in memories of a boy who was happy his grandfather ''looked like a grandfather should'' (p15), a boy who liked to ''search/for the seahorse and the crab/...to chase the wind and waves,/ climb the sand hills, laughing''(p20), a boy who told his friends that sand was ''the dust of dinosaurs''(p34). I found these memories happy and moving all at once.
At first 'Hardangervidda' seems to be a happy romantic memory then comes the lines - ''I open up my treasure trove, and go back to then,/ to remember how and end can begin''(p141). I find beauty in the sadness.
I lost myself in the mythology. I love mythology but my knowledge of Norse myth is minimal so I had to google Sigurd, Njord, Skadi, and Vala. I enjoyed all the poems with these characters. I also googled Enki, Eridu, Ur, Gilgamesh and Oannes, and now I know that Sumerian and Babylonian mythology exists - I didn't before. But my favourite mythology poem was 'The Redundancy Of Gods', this poem made me feel sorry for the gods as it turns out they need mortals as much as mortals once needed them - ''Hera says the more lamps that burn/ the more the shadow shift''(p13).
I lost myself in the art. I like the way the poems engage the reader the way the artworks engage the viewer. Turner not being a favourite of mine I had to google 'Windmill and Rainbow', as it turns out that is not the title of the painting, but I found it easily as the poem describes it so well. I now like the painting and the poem, and I can see how the painting would draw you in.
I also liked 'For A Pair Of Grass Parakeets'. In the poem the picture inspires a tune which in turn inspires a memory - ''feel the joy I once knew,/ when I was a boy on the shore,/ and with my kite I flew''(p86).
I lost myself in the mood of 'Chimneys and Clouds', 'Still the Dawn', 'Summer Play', 'When Through The Bright October Leaves' (my favourite poem in the book), 'Plough Lands' and 'No Ode For A Crow'. In 'No Ode For A Crow' I love the line - ''In the skin of the air, he pricks a sharp splinter''. Brilliant. I recommend this book.
Like I said you can lose yourself in this book. I lost myself in memories of a boy who was happy his grandfather ''looked like a grandfather should'' (p15), a boy who liked to ''search/for the seahorse and the crab/...to chase the wind and waves,/ climb the sand hills, laughing''(p20), a boy who told his friends that sand was ''the dust of dinosaurs''(p34). I found these memories happy and moving all at once.
At first 'Hardangervidda' seems to be a happy romantic memory then comes the lines - ''I open up my treasure trove, and go back to then,/ to remember how and end can begin''(p141). I find beauty in the sadness.
I lost myself in the mythology. I love mythology but my knowledge of Norse myth is minimal so I had to google Sigurd, Njord, Skadi, and Vala. I enjoyed all the poems with these characters. I also googled Enki, Eridu, Ur, Gilgamesh and Oannes, and now I know that Sumerian and Babylonian mythology exists - I didn't before. But my favourite mythology poem was 'The Redundancy Of Gods', this poem made me feel sorry for the gods as it turns out they need mortals as much as mortals once needed them - ''Hera says the more lamps that burn/ the more the shadow shift''(p13).
I lost myself in the art. I like the way the poems engage the reader the way the artworks engage the viewer. Turner not being a favourite of mine I had to google 'Windmill and Rainbow', as it turns out that is not the title of the painting, but I found it easily as the poem describes it so well. I now like the painting and the poem, and I can see how the painting would draw you in.
I also liked 'For A Pair Of Grass Parakeets'. In the poem the picture inspires a tune which in turn inspires a memory - ''feel the joy I once knew,/ when I was a boy on the shore,/ and with my kite I flew''(p86).
I lost myself in the mood of 'Chimneys and Clouds', 'Still the Dawn', 'Summer Play', 'When Through The Bright October Leaves' (my favourite poem in the book), 'Plough Lands' and 'No Ode For A Crow'. In 'No Ode For A Crow' I love the line - ''In the skin of the air, he pricks a sharp splinter''. Brilliant. I recommend this book.
November 29, 2017
This collection grounded me like Mother Nature. I could really tell that one of the themes deals with nature, and how it has the harmonious influence our chaotic minds. The sky, the stars, the mountains, the sea, just to name a few just take hold of us and whispers "peace." I was in a place of calm while reading these charismatic poems. Favorite pieces were "Naive Painter" and " Ascent of the Prophet to Heaven." Such a fun, easy, simple read.
December 29, 2015
Philip Dodd's background permits him to draw from a wide variety of sources, which makes for some very interesting reading. The pieces which appealed to me the most were the nes in which he spoke about his family and childhood, such as "1914-2000" and "My Father Was a Soailor". "What the Shepherds Saw" provides a new insight on the familiar Nativity story, since it is the innkeeper who speaks. "The Redunancy of Gods" raises from interesting points also.
There also are insights into contemporary affairs. "A Man From Syria" cuts through the rhetoric ans gives a pleas to end the war, thereby ending the refugee crisis. Like the other poems, is one is written in an easy-to-read tone and meter. Several of these pieces could easily be set to music I would do so, if I could. Perhaps someone else will.
I recommend "Still the Dawn: Odes and Poems" as a pleasant read for the times one has to sit down and reflect on what has been read.
There also are insights into contemporary affairs. "A Man From Syria" cuts through the rhetoric ans gives a pleas to end the war, thereby ending the refugee crisis. Like the other poems, is one is written in an easy-to-read tone and meter. Several of these pieces could easily be set to music I would do so, if I could. Perhaps someone else will.
I recommend "Still the Dawn: Odes and Poems" as a pleasant read for the times one has to sit down and reflect on what has been read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews