A Glossary of Chickens: Poems (Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets Book 62)

With skillful rhetoric and tempered lyricism, the poems in __A Glossary of Chickens__ explore, in part, the struggle to understand the world through the symbolism of words. Like the hens of the title poem, Gary J. Whitehead's lyrics root around in the earth searching for sustenance, cluck rather than crow, and possess a humble majesty. Confronting subjects such as moral depravity, nature's indifference, aging, illness, death, the tenacity of spirit, and the possibility of joy, the poems in this collection are accessible and controlled, musical and meditative, imagistic and richly figurative. They are informed by history, literature, and a deep interest in the natural world, touching on a wide range of subjects, from the Civil War and whale ships, to animals and insects. Two poems present biblical narratives, the story of Lot's wife and an imagining of Noah in his old age. Other poems nod to favorite authors: one poem is in the voice of the character Babo, from Herman Melville's __Benito Cereno__, while another is a kind of prequel to Emily Dickinson's "She rose to His Requirement." As inventive as they are observant, these memorable lyrics strive for revelation and provide their own revelations. An inventive and observant collection of lyric poems from the Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets With skillful rhetoric and tempered lyricism, the poems in A Glossary of Chickens explore, in part, the struggle to understand the world through the symbolism of words. Like the hens of the title poem, Gary J. Whitehead's lyrics root around in the earth searching for sustenance, cluck rather than crow, and possess a humble majesty. Confronting subjects such as moral depravity, nature's indifference, aging, illness, death, the tenacity of spirit, and the possibility of joy, the poems in this collection are accessible and controlled, musical and meditative, imagistic and richly figurative. They are informed by history, literature, and a deep interest in the natural world, touching on a wide range of subjects, from the Civil War and whale ships, to animals and insects. Two poems present biblical narratives, the story of Lot's wife and an imagining of Noah in his old age. Other poems nod to favorite authors: one poem is in the voice of the character Babo, from Herman Melville's Benito Cereno , while another is a kind of prequel to Emily Dickinson's "She rose to His Requirement." As inventive as they are observant, these memorable lyrics strive for revelation and provide their own revelations. Frontmatter -- Contents -- Oyster -- The Wimp -- Lot's Wife -- Spice Rack -- Sourdough -- Luminescent Jellyfish -- Somebody Throws It In -- The Slip -- Trap Door -- Ow l Pellet I Show My Students -- One-Legged Pigeon -- A Glossary of Chickens -- Sleeping with My Dog -- Warren -- Pastoral -- Stupid -- Tied Dog -- Letter Written in Pokeberry Ink -- Homeschooled -- Babo Speaks from Lima -- Slaveship -- Melville Passing -- First Prospective -- The Coop -- Death Watches -- In the Butterfly Conservatory -- Drosophila melanogaster -- Uncle -- Ararat -- Some Notes -- Acknowledgments. Contents Oyster I. The Wimp Lot’s Wife Spice Rack Sourdough Luminescent Jellyfish Somebody Throws It In The Slip Trap Door Ow l Pellet I Show My Students One-Legged Pigeon II. A Glossary of Chickens Sleeping with My Dog Warren Pastoral Stupid Tied Dog Letter Written in Pokeberry Ink Homeschooled Babo Speaks from Lima III. Slaveship Melville Passing First Prospective The Coop Death Watches In the Butterfly Conservatory Drosophila melanogaster Uncle Ararat Some Notes Acknowledgments