This book in three sections uses formally written poems-rhymed
quatrains, sonnets, terza rima, blank verse-to link the
relationship between the poet and his mother with the wider world
derived from a rare definition of umbilical: "descended through the
female line." "Motherlands" deals with the connection of physical
and mental landscapes. "Mother Tongues" focuses on language, spoken
and unspoken. And "Blood Mothers" concentrates on flesh-and-blood
mothers, whose support and inspiration help to shape our first
thoughts. The poems move among scenes as varied as World War II,
divorce, the Vietnam War, 9/11, and the imagined end of the world.
The book concludes with a crown of sonnets about the poet's mother
and his childhood in the South, showing in its way how all human
life begins as female. Umbilical is the fifteenth winner of the
annual New Criterion Poetry Prize. The New Criterion is recognized
as one of the foremost contemporary venues for poetry that pays
close attention to form. Building upon its commitment to serious
poetry, The New Criterion established this annual prize in 2000.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!