What do you think?
Rate this book
Icarus Falls
Icarus Falls is the latest poetry book out by Christopher Moore. Using a proto-mythological theme, the poems in Icarus Falls combine personal poetry with themes from mythology, particularly a heavy influence of Ancient Greek mythology.
75 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2022
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 27, 2022
“What has become of that thousandth ship…?”
I have been following Christopher Moore’s writing and growth, his continued achievements as poet and author for some years now, and each time he releases a new volume I’m eager to get my hands upon it and dig in right away. While Moore’s poems are characteristically steeped in rich history and associations testifying to his wealth of knowledge and keen knack applying it, this one will appeal to and please particularly fans of Greek history and mythology, those familiar with the ripe and engaging symbols and characters both supernatural and actual. From their Olympians and absconded queens down through the humble sailors lost at sea during the Trojan War, all find a comfortable and fruitful place in Moore’s latest collection named after the son of the architect who built the minotaur’s labyrinth — yet who, in this context, perhaps finds a better outcome than his most familiar end in one poem, through Christopher’s stirring reimagining. Moore proves how potent and relevant the many symbols, meanings and framing devices of old remain in our current times, what effective tools they can still provide for applying to our individual lives and describing their conflicts and successes, invoking their archetypal characters and journeys, interpreting the larger forces and structures at work energizing or stifling them.
Of many strong pieces of writing (in Christopher’s preferred size and shape, in my opinion modeled after the optimal sizing for a micro poem under 10 lines each) one of the most intriguing which stuck out to me personally is titled “The Thousandth Ship”, describing one which Helen’s face launched, which apparently remains at large to this day. That sort of engaging with deeply meaningful and historically rooted — sometimes recurring, indeed certain ones like the fiddling Nero which have returned from are preserved from constructive usages in previous collections — motifs (Persephone’s pomegranate, Dante’s circles of hell and its cast of characters, the Muses) and tropes of antiquity (Delphi’s oracle, the judgment of Paris, gorgons, panem et circenses) is one of Moore’s greatest talents, and he accomplishes such conceits deftly throughout Icarus Falls with amazing proficiency and admirable subtlety.
(The Circe figure — who I’m not recalling previously appearing — makes an riveting addition to Christopher’s ongoing rogues gallery, the hand of legendary icons he is presently playing with! Also, I always have a weakness for poems about Orpheus and his unfortunate ladylove… <3 Furthermore, was thrilled to see Demeter and the corn maiden merited mention within, those two interrelated deities I was just thinking have not received nearly enough ink in contemporary literature, comparative to their immense import in ancient life!)
The poem ‘Janus Heart’ is also masterfully executed, and creates a wonderfully productive and unforgettable image many readers may also relate with.
This collection marks a wonderful return and homage to the lyrical and transcendental poets of old (including one piece dedicated to and overtly addressing William Butler Yeats, citing appreciation and influence) and the preferred subject matter of the classical schools. Moore exercises remarkable restraint and avoids anachronism to create universal and timeless pieces which quite conceivably have been composed by a bard long ago, could be as celebrated and appreciated hundreds of years back as they are today, which is quite a coup!
Indeed Moore possesses a capacity and gift for speaking in a lofty and too-long forgotten language which readers can benefit from absorbing and considering long and hard. I hope this collection finds a large audience, it truly captures a beautiful culmination of this poet’s years of significant practice and study, which have led him to become a great and fascinating writer with the ability to channel focused studies quite enriching to readers through impressive economy. Burgeoning writers will also find much inspiration and get countless ideas reading this, and seeing how Christopher so stunningly applies “mythological themes to personal poems”, with consistent success and interesting results!
“Don’t get an animal heart for the sacrifice though, your own will do just fine… Well, maybe.”
Highly recommended….
I have been following Christopher Moore’s writing and growth, his continued achievements as poet and author for some years now, and each time he releases a new volume I’m eager to get my hands upon it and dig in right away. While Moore’s poems are characteristically steeped in rich history and associations testifying to his wealth of knowledge and keen knack applying it, this one will appeal to and please particularly fans of Greek history and mythology, those familiar with the ripe and engaging symbols and characters both supernatural and actual. From their Olympians and absconded queens down through the humble sailors lost at sea during the Trojan War, all find a comfortable and fruitful place in Moore’s latest collection named after the son of the architect who built the minotaur’s labyrinth — yet who, in this context, perhaps finds a better outcome than his most familiar end in one poem, through Christopher’s stirring reimagining. Moore proves how potent and relevant the many symbols, meanings and framing devices of old remain in our current times, what effective tools they can still provide for applying to our individual lives and describing their conflicts and successes, invoking their archetypal characters and journeys, interpreting the larger forces and structures at work energizing or stifling them.
Of many strong pieces of writing (in Christopher’s preferred size and shape, in my opinion modeled after the optimal sizing for a micro poem under 10 lines each) one of the most intriguing which stuck out to me personally is titled “The Thousandth Ship”, describing one which Helen’s face launched, which apparently remains at large to this day. That sort of engaging with deeply meaningful and historically rooted — sometimes recurring, indeed certain ones like the fiddling Nero which have returned from are preserved from constructive usages in previous collections — motifs (Persephone’s pomegranate, Dante’s circles of hell and its cast of characters, the Muses) and tropes of antiquity (Delphi’s oracle, the judgment of Paris, gorgons, panem et circenses) is one of Moore’s greatest talents, and he accomplishes such conceits deftly throughout Icarus Falls with amazing proficiency and admirable subtlety.
(The Circe figure — who I’m not recalling previously appearing — makes an riveting addition to Christopher’s ongoing rogues gallery, the hand of legendary icons he is presently playing with! Also, I always have a weakness for poems about Orpheus and his unfortunate ladylove… <3 Furthermore, was thrilled to see Demeter and the corn maiden merited mention within, those two interrelated deities I was just thinking have not received nearly enough ink in contemporary literature, comparative to their immense import in ancient life!)
The poem ‘Janus Heart’ is also masterfully executed, and creates a wonderfully productive and unforgettable image many readers may also relate with.
This collection marks a wonderful return and homage to the lyrical and transcendental poets of old (including one piece dedicated to and overtly addressing William Butler Yeats, citing appreciation and influence) and the preferred subject matter of the classical schools. Moore exercises remarkable restraint and avoids anachronism to create universal and timeless pieces which quite conceivably have been composed by a bard long ago, could be as celebrated and appreciated hundreds of years back as they are today, which is quite a coup!
Indeed Moore possesses a capacity and gift for speaking in a lofty and too-long forgotten language which readers can benefit from absorbing and considering long and hard. I hope this collection finds a large audience, it truly captures a beautiful culmination of this poet’s years of significant practice and study, which have led him to become a great and fascinating writer with the ability to channel focused studies quite enriching to readers through impressive economy. Burgeoning writers will also find much inspiration and get countless ideas reading this, and seeing how Christopher so stunningly applies “mythological themes to personal poems”, with consistent success and interesting results!
“Don’t get an animal heart for the sacrifice though, your own will do just fine… Well, maybe.”
Highly recommended….
Displaying 1 of 1 review