The King's Question

by Brian Culhane

Book Overview

Brian Culhane's deeply felt and accomplished debut, winner of the poetry foundation's Emily Dickinson First Book Award Let just one of those quicksilver hours be returned to me, W ith my knowledge now... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1555975119
• ISBN13: 9781555975111
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Graywolf Press
• Length: 80 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.9" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Brilliant!

I definitely agree with the comments already posted - "stunning," "wonderful," "glorious" - all these points are true, and impressively so. "King's Question" is a beautiful read, whether you're just looking to enjoy a book of amazing poems or to learn from the etymologies and mythologies Culhane winds into his narrative. I've wandered happily through the book several times already, and each time I find somewhere different to stop and think. One point I especially want to make, though - this is not a tame book! There's blood and death and constellation here. Grace and reflection too, sure, but vibrant fight and color as well. An impressive and exciting debut.

Wonderful Voice, Imagery

"Voice" is one of the more amorphous poetic skills to define and develop. Culhane's compilation shows that voice is undoubtedly worth pursuing. It develops over time, becoming more unique and undeniable as reflections, beliefs, and questions are fused into a whole. Culhane's poems draw inspiration from an impressive range of traditions and myths. But they resonate because of his ability to connect that literary experience with what is urgent in his own history. The poems linger because of his unique voice - they could not have been created by anyone else. Some of my favorite lines: 1. From "Library" - creative use of structure/punctuation to complement the story being told (I January 1938 and Property of are italicized): "Some are dated in the first blank page: I January 1938 this reads, as if a resolution Made (and kept?); this ruddy leather edition States simply Property of--with no name given." 2. From "Another Europe" - strong verbs; striking imagery follows after this line: "There is a region in the past that summons memory just to bruise it." 3. From "Shadow Work" - an original juxtaposition: "Sunlight will fall like dust" 4. From "Envoi" - sensitivity to sound, syllables, and space: "page on page clumped together, smutched idioms sundered"

Extraordinary poems, no question

That Culhane's collection of 24 poems won the Poetry Foundation's prestigious Emily Dickinson First Book Award is grand news for poetry readers. Unlike so much of modern poetry, which tends to be highly personal, narrative driven, and more like abbreviated essays than poems, Culhane's work, while not impersonal, draws on history and the history of poetry itself. The poems are glorious--varied in their style and language and in the atmosphere they create. They linger in your mind and push you to be the best reader you can be.

This is my favorite book in a good long time.

What is The King's Question? As you read this book in order to find out you will enter the universe of a very accomplished and wonderful poet. You will travel to real and imagined mindscapes that are crafted of memories, deep feelings and turns of phrase that yield surprising and profound insights. You will encounter conversations with heroes and heroines both mythological and personal that have clearly shaped the poet's life. This is my favorite book in a good long time.

A Stunning Debut

These are magnificent poems, and the depth of feeling, mastery of poetic forms, and range of scholarship they demonstrate show that the committee awarding Brian Culhane the Emily Dickinson First Book Award knew what it was doing. My five favorites are "Chekhov's 'The Student' (April, 1894), "For One Who First Showed Me Scipio's Dream," "The King's Question," Library," and "Poshumous," but, then, all twenty four are so good that on rereading them next week I'll probably have several more.