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Orpheus & Eurydice: A Lyric Sequence
How can I celebrate love/ now that I know what it does? So begins this booklength lyric sequence which reinhabits and modernizes the story of Orpheus, the mythic master of the lyre (and father of lyric poetry) and Eurydice, his lover who died and whom Orpheus tried to rescue from Hades.
Gregory Orr uses as his touchstone the assertion that myths attempt to narrate a whole human experience, while at the same time serving a purpose which resists explanation. Through poems of passionate and obsessive erotic love, Orr has dramatized the anguished intersection of infinite longings and finite lives and, in the process, explores the very sources of poetry.
When Eurydice saw him
huddled in a thick cloak,
she should have known
he was alive,
the way he shivered
beneath its useless folds.
But what she saw
was the a stranger
confused in a new world.
And when she touched him
on the shoulder,
it was nothing
personal, a kindness
he misunderstood.
To guide someone
through the halls of hell
is not the same as love.
"A reader unfamiliar with Orr’s work may be surprised, at first, by the richness of both action and visual detail that his succinct, spare poems convey. Lyricism can erupt in the midst of desolation."— Boston Globe
When Gregory Orr’s Burning the Empty Nest appear, Publisher’s Weekly praised it as an "auspicious debut for a gifted newcomer…he already demonstrates a superior control of his medium." Kirkus Review celebrated it as "an almost unbearably powerful first book of poetry" and enthusiastically reviewed his second book Gathering the Bones Together , noting that "Orr’s power is the eloquence of understatement." Most recently, his City of Salt was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award . Gregory Orr teaches at the University of Virginia.
Gregory Orr uses as his touchstone the assertion that myths attempt to narrate a whole human experience, while at the same time serving a purpose which resists explanation. Through poems of passionate and obsessive erotic love, Orr has dramatized the anguished intersection of infinite longings and finite lives and, in the process, explores the very sources of poetry.
When Eurydice saw him
huddled in a thick cloak,
she should have known
he was alive,
the way he shivered
beneath its useless folds.
But what she saw
was the a stranger
confused in a new world.
And when she touched him
on the shoulder,
it was nothing
personal, a kindness
he misunderstood.
To guide someone
through the halls of hell
is not the same as love.
"A reader unfamiliar with Orr’s work may be surprised, at first, by the richness of both action and visual detail that his succinct, spare poems convey. Lyricism can erupt in the midst of desolation."— Boston Globe
When Gregory Orr’s Burning the Empty Nest appear, Publisher’s Weekly praised it as an "auspicious debut for a gifted newcomer…he already demonstrates a superior control of his medium." Kirkus Review celebrated it as "an almost unbearably powerful first book of poetry" and enthusiastically reviewed his second book Gathering the Bones Together , noting that "Orr’s power is the eloquence of understatement." Most recently, his City of Salt was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award . Gregory Orr teaches at the University of Virginia.
80 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2001
12 people are currently reading
1160 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Orr
37 books104 followersGregory Orr was born in Albany, New York in 1947, and grew up in the rural Hudson Valley. He received a BA degree from Antioch College in 1969 and an MFA from Columbia University in 1972.
He is the author of more than ten collections of poetry, including River Inside the River: Poems (W. W. Norton, 2013); How Beautiful the Beloved (Copper Canyon Press, 2009); Concerning the Book that is the Body of the Beloved (2005); The Caged Owl: New and Selected Poems (2002); Orpheus and Eurydice (2001); City of Salt (1995), which was a finalist for the L.A. Times Poetry Prize; Gathering the Bones Together (1975) and Burning the Empty Nests (1973).
He is also the author of a memoir, The Blessing (Council Oak Books, 2002), which was chosen by Publisher's Weekly as one of the fifty best non-fiction books the year, and three books of essays, including Poetry As Survival (2002) and Stanley Kunitz: An Introduction to the Poetry (1985).
- See more at: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/...
He is the author of more than ten collections of poetry, including River Inside the River: Poems (W. W. Norton, 2013); How Beautiful the Beloved (Copper Canyon Press, 2009); Concerning the Book that is the Body of the Beloved (2005); The Caged Owl: New and Selected Poems (2002); Orpheus and Eurydice (2001); City of Salt (1995), which was a finalist for the L.A. Times Poetry Prize; Gathering the Bones Together (1975) and Burning the Empty Nests (1973).
He is also the author of a memoir, The Blessing (Council Oak Books, 2002), which was chosen by Publisher's Weekly as one of the fifty best non-fiction books the year, and three books of essays, including Poetry As Survival (2002) and Stanley Kunitz: An Introduction to the Poetry (1985).
- See more at: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
March 7, 2026
Review
This book is a lyrical retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, obviously. Being new to poetry (esp. ones that are longer than 2 pages), I can't judge this against much else, but my impression is that the poems are minimal and sparse without losing impact. Someone who isn't familiar with the story already might have trouble following it.
For those unaware, the story is basically Orpheus trying to rescue his love, Eurydice, from Hades, and bring her back to life. My knowledge of the myth is only superficial, so I don't know if the original is the same but here, Eurydice's parts even from when she was alive gave off the impression of her feeling trapped in her physical, corporeal self.
It also touches upon the immortality of art and its helpfulness in healing. A solid read if you're interested in poetry and Greek mythology.
Pre-Review
poetry is not for me but this was a good read though.
How can I celebrate love,
now that I know what it does?
This book is a lyrical retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, obviously. Being new to poetry (esp. ones that are longer than 2 pages), I can't judge this against much else, but my impression is that the poems are minimal and sparse without losing impact. Someone who isn't familiar with the story already might have trouble following it.
For those unaware, the story is basically Orpheus trying to rescue his love, Eurydice, from Hades, and bring her back to life. My knowledge of the myth is only superficial, so I don't know if the original is the same but here, Eurydice's parts even from when she was alive gave off the impression of her feeling trapped in her physical, corporeal self.
'When I died, all Orpheus heard
was a small, ambiguous cry.
How could he know how free I felt
as I unwound the long bandage
of my skin and stepped out?'
It also touches upon the immortality of art and its helpfulness in healing. A solid read if you're interested in poetry and Greek mythology.
Pre-Review
poetry is not for me but this was a good read though.
March 2, 2022
the kind of language that excites you to be alive. absolutely breathtaking. i felt every word
November 21, 2018
Work at Heirloom Books is not often gruelling. The site on North Clark Street in Chicago is on a block shared with two auto repair shops and an insurance company, a mile from the lake and the trendier shops on Broadway and Sheridan Road. A day, especially a weekday, can pass without a sale. To pass the time not occupied by shelving one can read, either silently or to another. Chelsea, the owner, and I usually have a book going between us for those slow periods. Recently, I've requested poetry as I'm deficient in that and a lot of our friends are not.
Gregory Orr's 'Orpheus & Eurydice' consists of a sequence of poems following the Greek myth of the lovers thwarted by death. Knowledge of the early versions of their story figures significantly in the reading of them. I appreciated the refresher course he, in effect, provides. The poems themselves are short, their meaning clear. Although mostly free verse, poetic devices are employed. The reading of the lot of them can be done in under an hour.
Gregory Orr's 'Orpheus & Eurydice' consists of a sequence of poems following the Greek myth of the lovers thwarted by death. Knowledge of the early versions of their story figures significantly in the reading of them. I appreciated the refresher course he, in effect, provides. The poems themselves are short, their meaning clear. Although mostly free verse, poetic devices are employed. The reading of the lot of them can be done in under an hour.
April 16, 2024
Gregory Orr has some beautiful poems, and there were some moments of his lyricism appearing in his interpretation of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. With all honesty, I didn’t think this sequence of poems was amazing or terrible. In fact, I was pretty indifferent about it, mostly wishing that Orr had spent more time expanding on his ideas.
March 30, 2025
A lovely retelling. I love Orr's work so much
April 2, 2008
arendt told me about this book, i re-read it when my class was doing a poetry unit. i like the idea of a story in poems, especially a re-working of an old story. Orr's poetry is calm, condensed, except when it is furious. even then it is like a gale under glass, you see it but can't quite feel it.
January 16, 2024
“If a person is all
you see,
the rest falls away
and she becomes the world.
But there’s another world
into which a person
can disappear.
Then what remains?
Only your word for her:
Eurydice.”
it’s no averno by louise gluck but still a great read!
you see,
the rest falls away
and she becomes the world.
But there’s another world
into which a person
can disappear.
Then what remains?
Only your word for her:
Eurydice.”
it’s no averno by louise gluck but still a great read!
January 4, 2021
"everything had lost its voice
and listened now inside,
listened to Orpheus."
(happy to start the year with something so gut-wrenchingly beautiful)
and listened now inside,
listened to Orpheus."
(happy to start the year with something so gut-wrenchingly beautiful)
June 9, 2021
Beautiful, only wish it was longer! "The Entrance to the Underworld" was my favourite bit. 4.5 stars
June 12, 2022
missed this story so reading it was a pleasure. gorgeous lyricism mister orr.
December 15, 2022
"To guide someone
through the halls of hell
is not the same as love."
through the halls of hell
is not the same as love."
January 2, 2024
Not quite the anger and frustration that Eurydice has in my favorite interpretation by Doolittle, but rather a poignant acceptance and resignation to her fate. And it’s beautifully written!
July 4, 2024
When I was alive
the best of me
was only mud
and took
the impress of her
Still I remember
and murmur her name.
My song is the fossil;
she was the fern
🫠
the best of me
was only mud
and took
the impress of her
Still I remember
and murmur her name.
My song is the fossil;
she was the fern
🫠
September 1, 2024
“When I was alive
the best of me
was only mud
and took
the impress of her.
Still I remember
and murmur her name.
My song is the fossil;
she was the fern.”
the best of me
was only mud
and took
the impress of her.
Still I remember
and murmur her name.
My song is the fossil;
she was the fern.”
February 7, 2025
Ask me to recite “When I was Alive…”
March 26, 2025
"All things go
downward.
Even the rocks
settle and sink,
even the flowers bow."
downward.
Even the rocks
settle and sink,
even the flowers bow."
April 28, 2025
Though roots probe
and branches grope outward
into empty air, she’s
vanished past
finding, whose loss
is carved in bark, in bone.
and branches grope outward
into empty air, she’s
vanished past
finding, whose loss
is carved in bark, in bone.
January 13, 2026
This is an interesting take on a classic Greek myth tied into lyrics and music, which play such a vital part in the story.
April 20, 2022
that was just perfect
December 9, 2022
Lapped up this magnificent lil guy this morning w my coffee cuz I bought it as a present and wanted to make sure it’s good. It is. Greg uses few and simple words that are so precisely chosen and powerful that it’s making the rest of my day feel more beautiful.
December 15, 2024
"The Ghosts Listen to Orpheus Sing"
He stood before the throne
and we stared, astonished,
at his breath pluming
in the cold air.
And then he strummed
his lyre and sang
the things we knew
and had forgot –
the earth in all its seasons
but especially spring
whose kiss melts
the icicle’s bone
so that the dead bush
blooms again.
(...)
Last of all it was loss
he sang, how like a vine
it climbs the wall,
sends roots and tendrils
inward,
bringing to the heart
of the hardest stone
the deep bursting emptiness of song.
He stood before the throne
and we stared, astonished,
at his breath pluming
in the cold air.
And then he strummed
his lyre and sang
the things we knew
and had forgot –
the earth in all its seasons
but especially spring
whose kiss melts
the icicle’s bone
so that the dead bush
blooms again.
(...)
Last of all it was loss
he sang, how like a vine
it climbs the wall,
sends roots and tendrils
inward,
bringing to the heart
of the hardest stone
the deep bursting emptiness of song.
December 1, 2025
I’ve been reading and rereading this book for twenty years, periodically returning to it like a visit with an old friend. Orr is one of my favorite poets; he’s a myth-maker and -teller without the verbosity of the classics, writing poems that are clear and concise and cutting in their emotional specificity. This Lyric Sequence, as it’s subtitled, is epic storytelling in a small package, sweeping and full of grandeur although minimalist in approach and teeming with aching beauty.
November 15, 2012
So very beautiful. Orpheus and Eurydice is my favorite myth and Gregory Orr's exploration and examination of it through verse is masterful and really brings new life to to these centuries old characters and their tragic love affair.
July 23, 2013
This reminded me a lot of Anais Mitchell's Hadestown (listen to it if you haven't yet!).
January 1, 2023
Gorgeous and beautiful poetry.
Orr brings the Greek mythological story of Orpheus and Eurydice to life, in a whole new sense.
Orr brings the Greek mythological story of Orpheus and Eurydice to life, in a whole new sense.
August 4, 2024
DON’T LOOK BACK.
When I was alive…
“When I died, all Orpheus heard was a small, ambiguous cry.
How could he know how free I felt as I unwound the long bandage of my skin and stepped out?”
Tomb of Orpheus.
“My limbs were scattered.
Wild animals ate my flesh. My bones lay unburied.
None of that matters.
Death is a rock tossed in a river - as soon as they open your wounds close.
When I was alive the best of me was only mud and took
the impress of her.
Still I remember and murmur her name.
My song is the fossil; she was the fern.”
His Grief
“With my words I'll make rocks weep and trees toss down their branches in despair.
In its heart each object guards a tear so round and absolute it mirrors all the passing scene.
Those clear globes are the souls of things.
I want to shatter them. I want to make them sing.”
The Wedge
“When there were two of us there was one world
and one moon. When you died, I was alone
in another world whose two moons
of grief and rage wax and wane
in the starless sky.
By their light, all I eat becomes ashes on my tongue.”
I’ve never read anything about Greek mythology.
I was… I don’t even know how to explain it. I loved it. These stuck with me.
When I was alive…
“When I died, all Orpheus heard was a small, ambiguous cry.
How could he know how free I felt as I unwound the long bandage of my skin and stepped out?”
Tomb of Orpheus.
“My limbs were scattered.
Wild animals ate my flesh. My bones lay unburied.
None of that matters.
Death is a rock tossed in a river - as soon as they open your wounds close.
When I was alive the best of me was only mud and took
the impress of her.
Still I remember and murmur her name.
My song is the fossil; she was the fern.”
His Grief
“With my words I'll make rocks weep and trees toss down their branches in despair.
In its heart each object guards a tear so round and absolute it mirrors all the passing scene.
Those clear globes are the souls of things.
I want to shatter them. I want to make them sing.”
The Wedge
“When there were two of us there was one world
and one moon. When you died, I was alone
in another world whose two moons
of grief and rage wax and wane
in the starless sky.
By their light, all I eat becomes ashes on my tongue.”
I’ve never read anything about Greek mythology.
I was… I don’t even know how to explain it. I loved it. These stuck with me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2026
Orpheus & Eurydice takıntım yüzünden bu çok hüzünlü hikayeye dair ne varsa okuyorum ve de izliyorum (serüven zaten öncelikle izleyerek başladı sonra okumaya döndü ama denk geldikçe görsel sunumlarını da muhakkak izliyorum).
"Kaybolan birini bulmak için sen de kaybolmayı deneyeceksin; bu dünyada kaybolan her şey bir yerde buluşur." der İsmail Güzelsoy Süslü Hatıralar Sahnesi isimli kitabında. Orpheus & Eurydice'un hikayesinin özünü de temellendiren harika bir cümle bu. Her şeyden çok sevdiği eşini çok erkenden kaybeden gözü yaşlı, kalbi paramparça ve biçare kocanın eşine yeniden kavuşmak için göze aldığı zorlu bir yol ve süreç.
Şair Gregory Orr'u bu vesileyle tanımış olmak muhteşem bir şey oldu. Öylesine güzel yorumlamış ki Orpheus & Eurydice'un kederli hikayesini, her satırı titizlikle okudum. Şiiri serbest çeviri olarak çevirmeye de çalışacağım ve bu benim için apayrı bir keyif olacak. Dilimize tek bir Orr kitabının çevrilmemesi bile çok şaşırtıcı. Orr'un henüz okumadığım How Beautiful the Beloved isimli şiir kitabında Nazım Hikmet'e adadığı Nazim Hikmet begins a poem isimli bir şiiri de var.
"Kaybolan birini bulmak için sen de kaybolmayı deneyeceksin; bu dünyada kaybolan her şey bir yerde buluşur." der İsmail Güzelsoy Süslü Hatıralar Sahnesi isimli kitabında. Orpheus & Eurydice'un hikayesinin özünü de temellendiren harika bir cümle bu. Her şeyden çok sevdiği eşini çok erkenden kaybeden gözü yaşlı, kalbi paramparça ve biçare kocanın eşine yeniden kavuşmak için göze aldığı zorlu bir yol ve süreç.
Şair Gregory Orr'u bu vesileyle tanımış olmak muhteşem bir şey oldu. Öylesine güzel yorumlamış ki Orpheus & Eurydice'un kederli hikayesini, her satırı titizlikle okudum. Şiiri serbest çeviri olarak çevirmeye de çalışacağım ve bu benim için apayrı bir keyif olacak. Dilimize tek bir Orr kitabının çevrilmemesi bile çok şaşırtıcı. Orr'un henüz okumadığım How Beautiful the Beloved isimli şiir kitabında Nazım Hikmet'e adadığı Nazim Hikmet begins a poem isimli bir şiiri de var.
September 1, 2018
With exquisite language defining what it means to love and live and die and grieve Orr transforms a story known into images as pure and timeless as the narrative itself. The poetry asks, What remains when what is brought as one is torn apart? We can all find our own answers the way a song might find your heart as easily as your ear.
Read
July 5, 2023With my words
I’ll make rocks
weep and trees
toss down
their branches
in despair.
In its heart
each object
guards a tear
so round
and absolute
it mirrors all
the passing scene.
Those clear globes
are the souls
of things.
I want to shatter
them. I want
to make them sing.
I’ll make rocks
weep and trees
toss down
their branches
in despair.
In its heart
each object
guards a tear
so round
and absolute
it mirrors all
the passing scene.
Those clear globes
are the souls
of things.
I want to shatter
them. I want
to make them sing.
June 4, 2021
read this bc i’m planning to watch cocteau’s orphic trilogy soon... i must say, i’m finding that i’m a maximalist when it comes to poetry... though symbolic in beautiful ways, this was too spartan for me
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews