Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The God of Loneliness





There is a broad range of poems in Philip Schultz’s The God of Loneliness.  These are selections from various works, as well as some poems printed in journals.  Schultz’s very best poems have an emotional immediacy.  He is not a poet to run around with words, flaunting his ability.  Rather, he uses words simply to tell a story with an emotional punch.  This element does not come out as strongly here as it does in his full collections, such as the Pulitzer Prize winning Failure.  In that collection, we can see how he allows several plot elements  to intertwine, interact, and then separate, only to come back later, from a different angle, with renewed vigor.  

Still, The God of Loneliness is an excellent way to survey Schultz’s poems, and to get a glimpse of his considerable gifts.

No comments:

Post a Comment