We were human once

By Mr Ben Robinson

**Literary Critique: "We Were Human Once" by Ben Robinson**

Ben Robinson's "We Were Human Once" is a sprawling meditation on identity, disconnection, and the fragility of the human condition. Where "Alas the Day" cast its net over global injustices, this collection draws us closer to the everyday erosion of empathy and the psychological toll of modern life.

**Themes and Motifs**

The poems chronicle a collective unraveling-addiction, alienation, political dysfunction, war, and ecological collapse dominate the landscape. Yet Robinson's title suggests both a critique and a lament: a world that once held its humanity intact is now slipping into disrepair. Many poems reflect on failed systems-society's treatment of the homeless, the disillusionment with politics, or personal betrayals. There's an undercurrent of grief running through even the most observational poems.

**Style and Structure**

Robinson's stylistic approach remains rooted in free verse and direct speech, but this collection shows greater tonal range. Some poems are elegiac and lyrical, while others, like "Corruption in the World" or "Humans Shoot Bullets," veer toward polemic. This variability gives the book a more layered texture, revealing a poet increasingly comfortable with multiple registers of voice.

**Tone and Voice**

The voice here is more interior and reflective, yet still engages with social realities. There's a greater emphasis on vulnerability-poems such as "I Saw You at the Start" or "Broken Inside" are emotionally raw and unflinching in their depiction of loss and self-blame. The tone is often melancholic, sometimes bitter, but frequently earnest and redemptive.

**Imagery and Poetic Devices**

There's a strong documentary impulse in these poems, but also a turn toward memory and myth. Natural imagery (birds, rain, beaches) often becomes a foil for emotional states, while urban spaces (parks, streets, diners) ground the poems in contemporary disillusionment. The metaphors are often stark-rarely ornamental-but deeply effective in their clarity.

**Standout Poems**

- **"I Saw You at the Start"**: A haunting narrative of addiction and loss.
- **"Bird"**: A simple but profound reflection on freedom and constraint.
- **"Rugged and Ragged"**: A biting critique of how capitalism erodes idealism.
- **"We Were Human Once"**: A culminating elegy that serves as the book's thesis.

**Conclusion**

"We Were Human Once" is a moving and unrelenting portrait of the fractures within ourselves and society. Robinson continues to write with moral urgency, but here, he deepens the emotional palette, exploring wounds both personal and political. It is one of his most intimate and resonant works.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0BNG5DK55
• ISBN13: 9798364461261
• Release Date: November 2022
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 116 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.5" x 8.5"