An anthology of Irish poets finds its finery and its flaw A Contrary review by Grace Wells The Watchful Heart, A New Generation of Irish Poets, Poems and Essays Edited by Joan McBreen 2009, Salmon Poetry Must all anthologies have a fatal flaw? Is it these failings that give editors the good intentions of beginning new, better anthologies? Undoubtedly good intentions went into the making of “The Watchful Heart,” but an unfortunate number of imperfections grind like teeth into the soft tissue of its merits. To gain inclusion, the 24 poets—all born within the last fifty years—had to have previously published two (or more) collections. Some of the poets featured are well established, long ago working themselves into the generation above their age group, and while these voices raise the overall tone, their presence means a number of exciting new-generation poets have been left out in the cold. Rather than showcasing the featured poets’ greatest hits, work included was required to be new, which makes for a huge variation in standards, and many of the poets—all interesting voices who deserve wider reading—don’t come off to their best effect. It’s also a pity that a collection which trumpets Irish poets doesn’t do more to express Ireland. Of the seventy or so poems here, less than ten give it focus. Despite Kevin Higgins’ shrewd ‘Ourselves Again’, Peter Sirr’s lyrical ‘Clooncunny, evening’-- “listening to the sound a place makes/flittings and undersongs stitched into the air”--and Mary Branley’s beautiful ‘Se do bheatha a Mhuire’--“There was something/in the way they said the rosary,/rhythmic reach and pull,/as if we were sitting in a currach/skimming the waves”--much of the poetry here is devoid of place, a missed opportunity. For it is poems like Paul Perry’s ‘Visiting Hours’ and Justin Quinn’s ‘The Crease’ that help bring to earth the tenuous but all too tangible hurts, tensions and celebrations of this country. Quinn’s poem is a perfect hymn to the river Liffey: It twists and wanders from the interior. It takes its time along the valley floor, so weird a crooked crease from source to mouth that you could fold all Ireland – north in south, or south in north – across its fluent band and use it as a bookmark, flag or brand. An anthology that had chosen to articulate the landscape of belonging or “the beloved worlds we loose forever,” as Peter Sirr says in his compelling essay, might well have generated greater attention in the market place. Still there are essential poems here, arresting works that expand our inner worlds and enhance understanding: Pat Boran’s ‘Let’s Die’, John McAuliffe’s ‘Badgers’, Mary Montague’s ‘Wild’, Jo Wood’s ‘Chronicles of the City’, Kate Newman’s ‘Piano Man’ and ‘The Wild Cattle of Swona Island, Orkney’, and all three pieces under Paul Perry’s entry. Although the poetry within “The Watchful Heart” misses out on a provocative definition of Ireland, the essays pin down the current, Irish poetry scene. There’s material here about the scrabble for grants, awards, and the necessity for reviews in the right places. A restriction on length means some of the essays are too short, at times we’re left splashing ankle-deep in serious matter, frustrated at not having been truly soaked. A couple of writers employ a glib, almost hysterical air of derision: “To write poetry it helps if you are a little weird,” and “If anything, it’s a hobby,” and “Poetry doesn’t exist.” While others, such as Kevin Higgins and Eileen Sheehan, provide a healthy balance by focusing on the living culture of poetry brought into being by the open mic. Unmissable is Kate Newman’s electric essay, “Getting my snake, getting my corset and getting my tongue pierced,” an account of school workshops where poetry was generated “around the emotive issues of drugs, sexually transmitted diseases and suicide.” The result, a breathtaking rollercoaster, releases poetry from the claustrophobic air of its scene, to have it stand on its own two feet, earning its keep in the veins of society. Throughout, contributors pay tribute to their influences and there’s a rich harvest of vital quotations and good leads toward further reading. Some poets ruminate on diverse themes that fling us out to the far reaches of distant poetry galaxies, but the best essays are the ones that focus on the centre, that answer the questions posed in John McAuliffe’s essay: “Who were these people? Had they really spent decades writing these poems? Did they think it was worth it?” “The Watchful Heart” is strongest where good poems marry with their author’s engaged response to the centrifugal forces that sustain poetry. Had all 24 poets been limited to writing on these essential themes, the book could have earned classic status. As it is, contributions from Peter Sirr and Paul Perry shine out as examples of how the personal essay should be written, and will undoubtedly become touchstones of nurture that make “The Watchful Heart” hard to part with when faced with the countless house moves, broken relationships and travails in the long decades of poetry writing to come. Grace Wells is an English poet living in Ireland and a regular contributor to Contrary. Index of Reviews...>Reviews.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0
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AUTUMN 2009 COVER THE EMPTY ARMCHAIR CYNTHIA NEWBERRY MARTIN DARWIN: THREE POEMS MARILYN KALLET WINTER MICHELLE CACHO-NEGRETE TRAVELOGUE HILARY DOBEL DON’T BREATHE, DON’T DIE RAMESH AVADHANI NO FURTHER NEED FOR NICETIES EDWARD MC WHINNEY ON A DRY STREET MRB CHELKO FROM THE EDITOR REVIEWS J.M. COETZEE LORRIE MOORE MOLLY HASKELL RAYMOND ARSENAULT MARK RAYNER THE WATCHFUL HEARTAutumn-2009.htmlArmchair.htmlArmchair.htmlDarwin.htmlDarwin.htmlWinter.htmlWinter.htmlTravelogue.htmlTravelogue.htmlBreathe.htmlBreathe.htmlNiceties.htmlNiceties.htmlDry_Street.htmlDry_Street.htmlRobinson_Jeffers.htmlReviews.htmlCoetzee-2.htmlMoore.htmlHaskell.htmlArsenault.htmlRayner.htmlshapeimage_5_link_0shapeimage_5_link_1shapeimage_5_link_2shapeimage_5_link_3shapeimage_5_link_4shapeimage_5_link_5shapeimage_5_link_6shapeimage_5_link_7shapeimage_5_link_8shapeimage_5_link_9shapeimage_5_link_10shapeimage_5_link_11shapeimage_5_link_12shapeimage_5_link_13shapeimage_5_link_14shapeimage_5_link_15shapeimage_5_link_16shapeimage_5_link_17shapeimage_5_link_18shapeimage_5_link_19shapeimage_5_link_20shapeimage_5_link_21shapeimage_5_link_22