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Asphodel
Book by Redhill, Michael
88 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
8 people want to read
About the author
Michael Redhill
33 books168 followersAka Inger Ash Wolfe.
Michael Redhill is an American-born Canadian poet, playwright and novelist.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Redhill was raised in the metropolitan Toronto, Ontario area. He pursued one year of study at Indiana University, and then returned to Canada, completing his education at York University and the University of Toronto. He was on the editorial board of Coach House Press from 1993 to 1996, and is currently the publisher and editor of the Canadian literary magazine Brick.
His play, Building Jerusalem, depicts a meeting between Karl Pearson, Augusta Stowe-Gullen, Adelaide Hoodless, and Silas Tertius Rand on New Year's Eve night just prior to the 20th century.
Michael Redhill is an American-born Canadian poet, playwright and novelist.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Redhill was raised in the metropolitan Toronto, Ontario area. He pursued one year of study at Indiana University, and then returned to Canada, completing his education at York University and the University of Toronto. He was on the editorial board of Coach House Press from 1993 to 1996, and is currently the publisher and editor of the Canadian literary magazine Brick.
His play, Building Jerusalem, depicts a meeting between Karl Pearson, Augusta Stowe-Gullen, Adelaide Hoodless, and Silas Tertius Rand on New Year's Eve night just prior to the 20th century.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 20, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of poems. Michael Redhill wrote an astounding classic, which harnessed inspiration from great poets such as Homer and Virgil. The poem Warlike (based on Caravaggio’s ‘Sacrifice of Isaac’) and the 19 poems in ‘Going Under’ (suggested by book six of the Aeneid) are timeless trinkets of this poet’s mastery. In spite of its short length, Asphodel abounds in beauty that will surmount the number of pages.
September 20, 2021
i was interested in the locations and the stories in the poems but could not get into the poetry.
December 24, 2016
181. Asphodel by Michael Redhill
I liked these poems much more than the Nora Lake Arms collection. Asphodel can refer to a section of the underworld where ordinary souls were sent in Greek mythology. The poems that dealt with an old man confronting death and the suite of Alzheimer poems relate to this and were especially good. The way one is ground down by the disease is shown almost too accurately. Asphodel can also refer to a perennial flower, which may be a hope of resurrection. The Ellis Island section of found poems seemed to be an interruption. The best line for me in the whole collection was “Everything that loves to live comes here, to the edge of water,” although I don’t agree with his conclusions. I think that I actually prefer when Redhill is writing as Inger Ashe Wolf and giving us mysteries. Maybe his poetry is too mysterious for me.
I liked these poems much more than the Nora Lake Arms collection. Asphodel can refer to a section of the underworld where ordinary souls were sent in Greek mythology. The poems that dealt with an old man confronting death and the suite of Alzheimer poems relate to this and were especially good. The way one is ground down by the disease is shown almost too accurately. Asphodel can also refer to a perennial flower, which may be a hope of resurrection. The Ellis Island section of found poems seemed to be an interruption. The best line for me in the whole collection was “Everything that loves to live comes here, to the edge of water,” although I don’t agree with his conclusions. I think that I actually prefer when Redhill is writing as Inger Ashe Wolf and giving us mysteries. Maybe his poetry is too mysterious for me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews