Francis: A Life in Songs

by Ann Wroe

A life of St Francis in verse


Throughout her career Ann Wroe has constantly confounded expectations, following her own unique path. Now, in Francis, she turns to verse to tell the life of St Francis of Assissi. This is a sequence only Ann Wroe could write, combining a troubadour’s musicality with full grasp of the moment, and a luminous sense of Francis as both myth and man, across history and culture, in nature and community. It is a remarkable and immensely beautiful book.

St Francis was one of the most compelling spirits the world has seen. He was also a poet, a musician and a dancer. His world was coloured by troubadour lays, brightened by birdsong, ordered by the bells and chants of the Church and transfigured by the angel-lyres he heard about him. For Ann Wroe, this seems a good reason to write his life in songs. It is also an excuse to record, in songs, the many ways his presence and his music still linger round us. They surprise us in chance encounters in city streets; they waylay us amid the humdrum banalities of working life; they persist in the beauties of nature. Great spirits never leave us. They echo on and on.

Genres: Poetry, Biography

ebook

Published November 8, 2018

About the author

Ann Wroe is a journalist and author - working as Briefings and Obituaries editor of The Economist. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Royal Society of Literature and the English Association.

Reviews

[Rosamund Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not religious, and this collection probably means more to a reader who believes in eternal life, and feels generally positive about Christianity. This biography-in-verse of Saint Francis is divided into a series of short pieces which all follow pretty much the same pattern: we are given quotes from primary sources on the life of Francis, followed by a poem inspired by those quotes, and then a poem about the modern day, followed by a very short piece that attempts to bring all three of these pieces together. For the most part, this works very well: Wroe is a skillful poet with a strong sense of lyricism and a knack for evoking sensual details and beauty. I found out about this book from a review in the Guardian, and was drawn to reading it because of the praise of Wroe's language and technical skill: https://www.theguardian.com/books/201... Overall, this book did not disappoint me: while there were certain poems I found hard to stomach, particularly those about the stigmata or self-punishment, I was drawn in by Wroe's consistently humane portrait of people, particularly in the poems that focus on the modern day, and her sense of timelessness and the numinous. I do think there is room here, however, for her to question or interrogate some of St Francis' actions and motivations, and I felt faith was taken too much as a given -- both St Francis' and the writer's.

[C. Patrick G. Erker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't speak highly enough of Ann Wroe.

I read her obituaries in the Economist religiously, including her old ones published in the Economist's Book of Obituaries. And I love her features in the Economist's lifestyle magazine (she had one recently about re-emerging from covid and having to cook for friends again).

I read the book relatively quickly, on the beach in Carpinteria mostly. It's a book that can be read on the beach, but that perhaps is better studied and pondered in a church or abbey or library somewhere.

The format, with some historical quotes from either Francis or authors who wrote about him, followed by a few poems, both ones written contemporaneous to the historical writings, another in modern times, and another few one-word lines to tie it together, kept things moving quickly.

Wroe's a gifted author, and one I think is hugely underappreciated. I'm going to make my way through other other works too.

[Nick Coke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly beautiful! Can’t praise this book enough. I loved the little nuggets about Francis’ life, as well the wonderful poetry.

[Tim O'Mahony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, a revelation on every page

[Nicky Reed]

I really liked the idea of this piece, and really wanted to like it; but afraid it didn't do it for me. Perhaps I'll try again another time.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read slowly over a number of months. This is a unique, innovative and creative approach to both biography and testimony. It is also a beautifully presented book, and would be perfect as a gift.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poems deepens as it goes. As a bio-in-poems, the narrative progresses across the book, but the lyric moments and wisdom manages to suspend moments and images. I liked this book so much, I reviewed it more fully over at American MicroReviews & Interviews: .