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The Book of Ephraim
For the first time in a stand-alone edition, the acclaimed poet's classic poem about his communication with Ephraim, a guiding spirit in the Other World, is here introduced and annotated by poet and Merrill scholar Stephen Yenser.
"The Book of Ephraim," which first appeared as the final poem in James Merrill's Pulitzer-winning volume Divine Comedies (1976), tells the story of how he and his partner David Jackson (JM and DJ as they came to be known) embarked on their experiments with the Ouija board and how they conversed after a fashion with great writers and thinkers of the past, especially in regard to the state of the increasingly imperiled planet Earth. One of the most ambitious long poems in in English in the twentieth century, originally conceived as complete in itself, it was to become the first part of Merrill's epic The Changing Light at Sandover (1982), the multiple prize-winning volume still in print. Merrill's "supreme tribute to the web of the world and the convergence of means and meanings everywhere within it" is introduced and annotated by one of his literary executors, Stephen Yenser, in a volume that will gratify veteran readers and entice new ones.
"The Book of Ephraim," which first appeared as the final poem in James Merrill's Pulitzer-winning volume Divine Comedies (1976), tells the story of how he and his partner David Jackson (JM and DJ as they came to be known) embarked on their experiments with the Ouija board and how they conversed after a fashion with great writers and thinkers of the past, especially in regard to the state of the increasingly imperiled planet Earth. One of the most ambitious long poems in in English in the twentieth century, originally conceived as complete in itself, it was to become the first part of Merrill's epic The Changing Light at Sandover (1982), the multiple prize-winning volume still in print. Merrill's "supreme tribute to the web of the world and the convergence of means and meanings everywhere within it" is introduced and annotated by one of his literary executors, Stephen Yenser, in a volume that will gratify veteran readers and entice new ones.
- GenresPoetry
216 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2017
9 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
James Merrill
119 books66 followersJames Ingram Merrill was born on March 3, 1926, and died on February 6, 1995. From the mid-1950s on, he lived in Stonington, Connecticut, and for extended periods he also had houses in Athens and Key West. From The Black Swan (1946) through A Scattering of Salts (1995), he wrote twelve books of poems, ten of them published in trade editions, as well as The Changing Light at Sandover (1982). He also published two plays, The Immortal Husband (1956) and The Bait (1960); two novels, The Seraglio (1957, reissued in 1987) and The (Diblos) Notebook (1965, reissued 1994); a book of essays, interviews, and reviews, Recitative (1986); and a memoir, A Different Person (1993). Over the years, he was the winner of numerous awards for his poetry, including two National Book Awards, the Bollingen Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, and the first Bobbitt Prize from the Library of Congress. He was a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
did-not-finish
January 29, 2022This poetry is wholly incomprehensible to me.
December 15, 2025
oh man oh man. To say, "I'm going to turn my ouija board transcriptions from two decades ago into the Divine Comedy of the 20th century" and to actually PULL IT OFF. Ephraim is gorgeous and hilarious and intricate, even spending ages going back and forth between the sections and Yenser's annotations I only cracked the surface of what's here, and I'll have to return someday. Maybe soon!
An undercurrent in Dante is the basic question of what the hell (har har) all this is, and what the reader is supposed to make of it. Like, Dante presents it straightforward as a thing he did, a literal three day journey. So does he expect the reader to take that at face value? Does Dante believe he went through hell/purgatory/paradise or does he think he's writing fiction? Merrill puts this on the surface of Ephraim. Are these actual voices from the other world? Does Merrill think they are? Does Merrill expect the reader to think they are? The whole poem sequence dances between playful sincerity and playful doubt. This saves the project from being woo-woo.
An undercurrent in Dante is the basic question of what the hell (har har) all this is, and what the reader is supposed to make of it. Like, Dante presents it straightforward as a thing he did, a literal three day journey. So does he expect the reader to take that at face value? Does Dante believe he went through hell/purgatory/paradise or does he think he's writing fiction? Merrill puts this on the surface of Ephraim. Are these actual voices from the other world? Does Merrill think they are? Does Merrill expect the reader to think they are? The whole poem sequence dances between playful sincerity and playful doubt. This saves the project from being woo-woo.
Read
December 10, 2025I wish i could have given this more attention, though i do think approaching it with a fevered mind might add something not entirely incongruous. voices, chatacters, themes melt together. kind of like a ghost. as always I love merrils writing style, especially in this book theres something very whimsical and playful about it.
December 3, 2025
Reading this book is like solving a puzzle. I honestly would not be able to understand anything without Stephen Yenser's introduction and Epiograph. I need to read this book like five more times to understand what's happening in every chapter, and even then, I wouldn't grasp all the puns and references Merril makes. I hope to read this book often in the coming years.
February 4, 2022
I did not finish this book. It started off quite promising but lost me quickly. I wonder if it would be better to hear it being read out loud. I find poetry is better when you can hear it, especially if by the author.
November 6, 2024
Anyone who’s played with Ouija (rhymes with “squeegee”) boards knows how much good clean fun they are. There’s something wholesome, as well as thrilling, about producing text collectively — that is, if you don’t think you’re actually in touch with the beyond. But in my experience, if you look around the table, there are generally one or two people who’d be much more likely to come up with those cryptic memoranda on their own than the one or two others.
The more you think about the squeegee board, the less fun it is. And I think that’s true of The Book of Ephraim, too.
Merrill is a wonderful formal poet, in his element in the terza rima section or any of the casual dives into sonnets, couplets — or some gorgeous weighty hendecs in a late section. The problem is that so much of the subject matter is diaristic, to be charitable — navel-gazing, to be mean. Much of it revolves around the loss of a novel on the same subject (whatever that is) — I found myself wishing the novel had remained intact. Most of this long poem is just a couple of guys arsing around with a Ouija board. There are exceptions: I loved section P, which spirals from power in general to a full-on cold-war nightmare. But the panoply of characters come and go (talking of Michaelangelo). Half of them are just ghosts symbolic to Merrill and half are real (Maya Deren e.g.) but never really realized. The title fellow is the prime example of the former. The more I read of Eph’s all-caps, the more it sounded very much like a couple of well-educated aesthetes harmonizing. And not at all ancient. That’s the squeegee for you. Lots of fun at the time, best if you don’t write it down.
The only phrase I remember from my ouija days is “wend your way to Damascus, jaded though you are”.
My enjoyment of the poem was lessened by Yenser’s lickspittle annotations which frequently call our attention to how subtle, pertinent, or wonderful some vague reference or pretty construction is. But I want to end positively — JM is a god at putting words in the right order. If you like long poems with masterful metre, little connection to the world, absurdly arbitrary structures and no real sense of purpose, you’ll dig The Book of Ephraim.
The more you think about the squeegee board, the less fun it is. And I think that’s true of The Book of Ephraim, too.
Merrill is a wonderful formal poet, in his element in the terza rima section or any of the casual dives into sonnets, couplets — or some gorgeous weighty hendecs in a late section. The problem is that so much of the subject matter is diaristic, to be charitable — navel-gazing, to be mean. Much of it revolves around the loss of a novel on the same subject (whatever that is) — I found myself wishing the novel had remained intact. Most of this long poem is just a couple of guys arsing around with a Ouija board. There are exceptions: I loved section P, which spirals from power in general to a full-on cold-war nightmare. But the panoply of characters come and go (talking of Michaelangelo). Half of them are just ghosts symbolic to Merrill and half are real (Maya Deren e.g.) but never really realized. The title fellow is the prime example of the former. The more I read of Eph’s all-caps, the more it sounded very much like a couple of well-educated aesthetes harmonizing. And not at all ancient. That’s the squeegee for you. Lots of fun at the time, best if you don’t write it down.
The only phrase I remember from my ouija days is “wend your way to Damascus, jaded though you are”.
My enjoyment of the poem was lessened by Yenser’s lickspittle annotations which frequently call our attention to how subtle, pertinent, or wonderful some vague reference or pretty construction is. But I want to end positively — JM is a god at putting words in the right order. If you like long poems with masterful metre, little connection to the world, absurdly arbitrary structures and no real sense of purpose, you’ll dig The Book of Ephraim.
August 14, 2022
Do I completely understand all the moving parts functioning in James Merrill's The Book of Ephraim? No. But that's because there are so many. Patterns, however, emerge through the fog: a fractal rose, a knight errant, the flow of time, diametrically opposed motifs of water and fire. Merrill's genius, elucidated by Yenser's wonderfully insightful annotations shines through, even in my lack of ability to always keep up.
The Book of Ephraim is about James Merrill's and David Jackson's interactions with a Ouija board over twenty plus years. Here comes the first defense I must give. Is a reader meant to believe the interactions had are true? No. But a reader is expected "never to forego, in favor of/Plain dull proof, the marvelous nightly pudding." In other words, it's a poem meant to be enjoyed, not held as a representation of fact.
With an operatically large cast and so many different focuses, Ephraim can sometimes feel disjointed. But from all these facets which seem hard and angular emerge a smooth and perfectly crafted diamond. Everything connects to everything like the kind of fractal imagery I mentioned above.
All in all, this is a hard poem, not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, it would take me a day to just reason my way through one section, and I still don't think I completely understand it. But Merrill's mastery for storytelling, the english language is unparalleled and encourages revisitation.
The Book of Ephraim is about James Merrill's and David Jackson's interactions with a Ouija board over twenty plus years. Here comes the first defense I must give. Is a reader meant to believe the interactions had are true? No. But a reader is expected "never to forego, in favor of/Plain dull proof, the marvelous nightly pudding." In other words, it's a poem meant to be enjoyed, not held as a representation of fact.
With an operatically large cast and so many different focuses, Ephraim can sometimes feel disjointed. But from all these facets which seem hard and angular emerge a smooth and perfectly crafted diamond. Everything connects to everything like the kind of fractal imagery I mentioned above.
All in all, this is a hard poem, not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, it would take me a day to just reason my way through one section, and I still don't think I completely understand it. But Merrill's mastery for storytelling, the english language is unparalleled and encourages revisitation.
January 1, 2021
Pause. Then, as though we’d passed a test,
Ephraim’s whole manner changed. He brushed aside
Tiberius and settled to the task
Of answering, like an experienced guide,
Those questions we had lacked the wit to ask.
Here on Earth—huge tracts of information
Have gone into these capsules flavorless
And rhymed for easy swallowing—on Earth
We’re each the REPRESENTATIVE of a PATRON
—Are there that many patrons? YES O YES
These secular guardian angels fume and fuss
For what must seem eternity over us.
It is forbidden them to INTERVENE
Save, as it were, in the entr’acte between
One incarnation and another. Back
To school from the disastrously long vac
Goes the soul its patron crams yet once
Again with savoir vivre. Will the dunce
Never—by rote, the hundredth time round—learn
What ropes make fast that point of no return,
A footing on the lowest of NINE STAGES
Among the curates and the minor mages?
Patrons at last ourselves, an upward notch
Our old ones move THEYVE BORNE IT ALL FOR THIS
And take delivery from the Abyss
Of brand-new little savage souls to watch.
One difference: with every rise in station
Comes a degree of PEACE FROM REPRESENTATION
—Odd phrase, more like a motto for abstract
Art—or for Autocracy—In fact
Our heads are spinning—From the East a light—
BUT U ARE TIRED MES CHERS SWEET DREAMS TOMORROW NIGHT
Ephraim’s whole manner changed. He brushed aside
Tiberius and settled to the task
Of answering, like an experienced guide,
Those questions we had lacked the wit to ask.
Here on Earth—huge tracts of information
Have gone into these capsules flavorless
And rhymed for easy swallowing—on Earth
We’re each the REPRESENTATIVE of a PATRON
—Are there that many patrons? YES O YES
These secular guardian angels fume and fuss
For what must seem eternity over us.
It is forbidden them to INTERVENE
Save, as it were, in the entr’acte between
One incarnation and another. Back
To school from the disastrously long vac
Goes the soul its patron crams yet once
Again with savoir vivre. Will the dunce
Never—by rote, the hundredth time round—learn
What ropes make fast that point of no return,
A footing on the lowest of NINE STAGES
Among the curates and the minor mages?
Patrons at last ourselves, an upward notch
Our old ones move THEYVE BORNE IT ALL FOR THIS
And take delivery from the Abyss
Of brand-new little savage souls to watch.
One difference: with every rise in station
Comes a degree of PEACE FROM REPRESENTATION
—Odd phrase, more like a motto for abstract
Art—or for Autocracy—In fact
Our heads are spinning—From the East a light—
BUT U ARE TIRED MES CHERS SWEET DREAMS TOMORROW NIGHT
April 12, 2022
I had to work to understand his poetry, but it was worth it. I read his collected works first, and that gave me insight into his life and education. I admire him greatly. Using the ouija board was clever, actually. As children of the '80s, we used one at parties for a laugh.
Our bookclub discussion of this novel was the icing on the cake. There were so many wise opinions even by those who didn't care for it. I look forward to, The Changing Light at Sandover.
Our bookclub discussion of this novel was the icing on the cake. There were so many wise opinions even by those who didn't care for it. I look forward to, The Changing Light at Sandover.
July 23, 2023
This was srsly excellent!!! And so magic to read it in JM's house/town. I think Jane and I should try to chat with Jimmy lol and David and Ephraim via Ouija board. So fucking genius. So wise.
THESE TIMES WE SPEAK ARE WITHIN SIGHT OF & ALL CONNECTED
TO EACH OTHER DEAD OR ALIVE NOW DO U UNDERSTAND WHAT
HEAVEN IS IT IS THE SURROUND OF THE LIVING
I AM WISEST WHEN I LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN AT THE GROUND I KNEW
THESE TIMES WE SPEAK ARE WITHIN SIGHT OF & ALL CONNECTED
TO EACH OTHER DEAD OR ALIVE NOW DO U UNDERSTAND WHAT
HEAVEN IS IT IS THE SURROUND OF THE LIVING
I AM WISEST WHEN I LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN AT THE GROUND I KNEW
July 19, 2019
I respect the work. I just don't know what I've read. Not for me and not for my brain.
November 15, 2019
Formally perfect and uniquely enthralling, I can safely say that I have never been so invested in necromancy-and for me, that's really saying something.
March 17, 2022
La obra total
July 8, 2022
Interesting, creative concept but utterly confusing from start to finish. Must read carefully to understand the first time.
January 31, 2022
This book had a very intriguing premise: an epic poem about a gay guy in the 70s and his partner communicating with a ghost through a teacup and ouija board, while living in Europe slash travelling places. That is literally my dream. Love that the subject of the poem is his life. It is so specific, but so worldly and multicultural, what with the exotic words he uses and the obscure references.
Despite (or because of?) the brilliance and creativity of this work, I somewhat felt like an amateur reader when trying to read this book. Questions about how to best read it keep popping into my head: should I have memorized the characters first? Which ones are whom and are they real? Should I have looked up all the vocabularies beforehand? Or skip them? Should I go between the commentary and the poem? Should I not have read the introduction? Should I have powered through the poem or read one section a day? The actual poem took no more than a hundred page (an average of 3 pages x 26 alphabet/sections), but it is dense with meaning and double-meaning and wit, hence the commentary at the end.
Between looking up the words I don't know, paying attention to the rhymes, and watching out for the clever wordplay, and trying to remember the theme in each section, I've sort of lost focus of the "story" and development a bit. And that's not including reading the commentaries/footnotes to try to understand the references Merrill made in the poems. I think this might be a piece of work you’d need to read a few times over to truly appreciate.
Despite (or because of?) the brilliance and creativity of this work, I somewhat felt like an amateur reader when trying to read this book. Questions about how to best read it keep popping into my head: should I have memorized the characters first? Which ones are whom and are they real? Should I have looked up all the vocabularies beforehand? Or skip them? Should I go between the commentary and the poem? Should I not have read the introduction? Should I have powered through the poem or read one section a day? The actual poem took no more than a hundred page (an average of 3 pages x 26 alphabet/sections), but it is dense with meaning and double-meaning and wit, hence the commentary at the end.
Between looking up the words I don't know, paying attention to the rhymes, and watching out for the clever wordplay, and trying to remember the theme in each section, I've sort of lost focus of the "story" and development a bit. And that's not including reading the commentaries/footnotes to try to understand the references Merrill made in the poems. I think this might be a piece of work you’d need to read a few times over to truly appreciate.
February 2, 2022
Ouija board in the dining room with his partner David. Speaking with the dead.
Although I endured the whole book, I understood nothing.
Although I endured the whole book, I understood nothing.
April 20, 2024
It was alright in my ghost stories class, just not my favorite.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews