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Clever Backbone
John Agard has been broadening the canvas of British poetry for the past 40 years with his mischievous, satirical fables. In "Clever Backbone", the Guyanese-born word magician plays havoc with biology and makes a monkey out of Darwinian evolution - on the occasion of the bicentenary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his "Origin of Species". His "Alternative Selected Poems" (with DVD) is published at the same time.
- GenresPoetry
74 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2009
14 people want to read
About the author
John Agard
115 books37 followersJohn Agard was born in Guyana and emigrated to Britain in 1977. He has worked as an actor and a performer with a jazz group and spent several years as a lecturer for the Commonwealth Institute, travelling all over Britain giving talks, performances and workshops. He has visited literally thousands of schools and enjoys the live contact and the joy of children responding although it can be hard work.
John Agard started writing poems when he was about 16 - some of these early efforts were published in his school magazine. Many of his poems now are composed while looking out of train windows.
"Try the best with what you have right now
If you don't have horse, then ride cow."
It is in his poetry that John Agard makes his greatest contribution to children's literature. Like the best authors, he brings something unique to children's experience - a view of the world tempered by his own childhood, a feeling for the rhythms and cadences of its language, and a sophisticated understanding of the advantages and limitations of several forms of English. That he can make the "standard" forms work superbly is evident from many of his poems for adults. For children, with whom he communicates more directly, the lyrical Guyanese forms serve his purposes to perfection.
Agard is not a literary poet but also a performing poet and has a strong sense of his audience. When he writes for children, he seems to see them sitting at his feet. He is more interested in the ideas and words he is delivering to them than in the creation of complex fictional characters with whom his readers might engage. He lives in Sussex and is married to Grace Nichols, a respected Caribbean poet and co-author of a collection of Caribbean nursery rhymes, NO HICKORY, NO DICKORY, NO DOCK.
John Agard started writing poems when he was about 16 - some of these early efforts were published in his school magazine. Many of his poems now are composed while looking out of train windows.
"Try the best with what you have right now
If you don't have horse, then ride cow."
It is in his poetry that John Agard makes his greatest contribution to children's literature. Like the best authors, he brings something unique to children's experience - a view of the world tempered by his own childhood, a feeling for the rhythms and cadences of its language, and a sophisticated understanding of the advantages and limitations of several forms of English. That he can make the "standard" forms work superbly is evident from many of his poems for adults. For children, with whom he communicates more directly, the lyrical Guyanese forms serve his purposes to perfection.
Agard is not a literary poet but also a performing poet and has a strong sense of his audience. When he writes for children, he seems to see them sitting at his feet. He is more interested in the ideas and words he is delivering to them than in the creation of complex fictional characters with whom his readers might engage. He lives in Sussex and is married to Grace Nichols, a respected Caribbean poet and co-author of a collection of Caribbean nursery rhymes, NO HICKORY, NO DICKORY, NO DOCK.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 4, 2015
About the Author
John Agard was born in Guyana and came to Britain in 1977. He has published two collections with Serpents Tail and five books with Bloodaxe. He is also a popular children’s author.
Blurb on the back
John Agard has been broadening the canvas of British poetry for the past 30 years with his mischievous, satirical fables. In Clever Backbone, the Guyanese born word magician plays havoc with biology and makes a monkey out of Darwinian evolution- on the occasion of the bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his Origin of Species. His Alternative Anthem: Selected poems (with DVD) is published at the same time.
Good bits about the book
I liked the humor he writes with.
Bad bit about the book
I felt after the first two or three poems the subject was kind of exhausted. I don’t really understand the use of over complicated words to say something really quite simple unless you only want a certain type of person to read your poems.
Overall rating
Two out of five stars. Really not my kind of poetry and probably won’t be reading any other of his books.
John Agard was born in Guyana and came to Britain in 1977. He has published two collections with Serpents Tail and five books with Bloodaxe. He is also a popular children’s author.
Blurb on the back
John Agard has been broadening the canvas of British poetry for the past 30 years with his mischievous, satirical fables. In Clever Backbone, the Guyanese born word magician plays havoc with biology and makes a monkey out of Darwinian evolution- on the occasion of the bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his Origin of Species. His Alternative Anthem: Selected poems (with DVD) is published at the same time.
Good bits about the book
I liked the humor he writes with.
Bad bit about the book
I felt after the first two or three poems the subject was kind of exhausted. I don’t really understand the use of over complicated words to say something really quite simple unless you only want a certain type of person to read your poems.
Overall rating
Two out of five stars. Really not my kind of poetry and probably won’t be reading any other of his books.
June 28, 2010
A clever commentary on the evolution of man, and our presumed place on the hierarchy.
August 17, 2016
a interesting series of sonnets that all work together in a nice chain all about evolution and humans and human nature.
quite a fun read.
quite a fun read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews