Whylah falls george elliott clarke

Canadian Poets, Contemporary. Canadian Poets, 19th Century. Representative Poetry Online. At eighteen, I thought the Sixhibaoux wept. Five years younger, you were lush, beautiful Mystery; your limbs — scrolls of deep water. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Skip to content. Five years younger, you were lush, beautiful Mystery; your limbs—scrolls of deep water.

Torn from sweet oxygen, O wilted fast. George Elliott Clarke, author of Whylah Falls. Like this: Like Loading Leave your thoughts: Cancel reply Enter your comment here Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:. Email required Address never made public. Name required. Follow Following. Archaeologies of the Weird Join other followers. My y There were some poems in here that caught me off guard like someone throwing a fishhook into your mouth and pulling you along My yellow-mouthed honey creeps 'cross the linoleum in her lovin' stockin' feet.

Clarke is fantastic at getting into characters. He lets them sing on the page. It is amazing. They sound so authentic. And of course he is witty and sensual--ie. This book is based on archival research and has a murder. It has many personae with great names l Clarke is fantastic at getting into characters. It has many personae with great names like Othello, Pushkin, Lavinia, and Shelley among others. Oct 12, Amy rated it liked it Shelves: english-major-read. I can't decide how to review this.

I know it is an important work, but I found it to be pretentious to the point of unreadability. It was so inaccessible. I actually love poetry--especially Canadian poetry--but this turned me off. I don't think the collection merits as low of a review as my personal gripes with it would warrant, though.

I think the book did what it sought to do, but it wasn't for me. Wow, this was a very compelling collection and very interesting to have a narrative throughout the whole thing. It got me. Really got me. Mar 05, Aleta Fera rated it really liked it Shelves: fold , popsugar May 02, Vlora rated it liked it.

Okay, full disclosure, I had to read this for a seminar at university. Otherwise I wouldn't have chosen it and I probably wouldn't have finished it. That said, I didn't hate it, even though I feel like I didn't always get it and found the prologue pretentious.

It evokes plenty of nature's beauty, as well as aptly depicting personal relationships. Even violence and death are sometimes beautiful in this book. This is certainly a book that lives on poetic language and beautiful imagery rather than p Okay, full disclosure, I had to read this for a seminar at university. This is certainly a book that lives on poetic language and beautiful imagery rather than plot and suspense. That's perfectly legitimate and can work very well, but the multiple points of view made it harder for me to understand who is speaking in which poem sometimes, which also rendered it less meaningful at times.

All in all, I did not find this a very accessible book, but probably one that is worth reading. I can't find it in me to care enough, but I have a feeling that this is the kind of book you can read several times and still discover new meanings and layers every time.

Feb 24, Kristin rated it it was amazing Shelves: black , afro-canadian , africadian , poetry. He's made me realize what I have been missing out on this entire time. I'm not sure what you call this - a novel via poem? Anyways, it really drew out my senses, creating a picturesque world of Black Canadiana as the "In school I hated poetry - those skinny, malnourished poems that professors love; the bad grammar and dirty words that catch in the mouth like fishhooks, tear holes in speech" Not only did Clarke finally win me over on poetry, he gave me the words to express how I've felt for years.

Anyways, it really drew out my senses, creating a picturesque world of Black Canadiana as the backdrop to the romantic drama that unfolds upon its pages. Clarke is a wordsmith of the highest degree. Mar 22, Andrea rated it it was amazing Shelves: canadian , poetry. I am so inspired by this writer he takes your breath away with his use of the English language, his language of love and life.

He is lyrical in his work. Clarke pays tribute to the blues, epic poetry and Nova Scotia. This is comparable to Chaucer and Milton. A time and a place so well captured that you are drawn into the lives of his staged characters and their narrative. Only one of many lines written that are so moving. Beaut I am so inspired by this writer he takes your breath away with his use of the English language, his language of love and life. Beautiful work. I will be reading it again.

Jul 12, Garth Mailman rated it liked it. My reason for buying this book of poems by an Afro-Nova Scotian writer fifteen years ago is lost to me now.

Probably a review I read in the Star Book Section, something the advent of a computer in my life caused me to cease reading on a regular basis. A book of pages has a page introduction written by the author.

Whylah Falls is a home lost in memory, a place that never existed but not unlike a home one can only return to in memory because the home remembered no longer exists in reality. I didn't take enough time, but I find poetry difficult. Even more so here where there are interweaving stories and characters to follow.

Found myself smiling and sighing at words, even finding beauty in the violence. Moments aplenty - enjoyed the musical and literary references, the dashes of humour and social commentary.

Oct 04, Colin rated it really liked it. Yes, it's kind of pretentious in its effort to Shakespeare-up the Africadian culture that Clarke writes and perhaps, to some degree, creates in this book. But it's beautiful nonetheless and its skin glistens and it fucks with form and content in a truly inspired, loving manner. Love it or hate it - and I've felt both about it - this book's a proof that Clarke has full mastery of his craft.

Jul 25, Mattias rated it liked it Shelves: canada , poetry. The writing was great and the poetry gorgeous, I liked this a lot. I wasn't always sure who all of those characters were there were quite a lot or what was going on, as they weren't always introduced or the events described explicitly and I read it over most of a summer.

Jan 28, Elizabeth Barter rated it it was amazing.