'The Mirabelles' is Freud's second collection, has a very pretty front cover and is a Poetry Book Society choice. It is also the first of Freud's work that I have read.
I haven't read the whole of this book, but it's quite an unusual one. It's been very interesting to see a range of what contemporary poetry can be, and The Mirabelles is a good introduction to different styles for someone new to contemporary poetry (like me). It isn't earth-shattering, or ground-breaking, but is unusual.
The collection is split into three different sections, which each showcase different styles and structures. The second section, 'The Inexplicable Human Gorgeousness', is the one I am reading now, and contains a few found poems - i.e. poetry made from an existing text. Although I have enjoyed quite a fair bit of the book so far, the found poems annoyed me. This is just my opinion, but I feel it rather strongly: sticking a few line breaks into someone else's writing does not make a poem. Poetry requires a creative input of vision and skill from the writer. Freud's found poems don't deliver this. To me, these aren't poetry. They're taking credit for someone else's legwork (and I say 'taking credit for', because one of the found poems is mentioned in the blurb, and makes the book sound much more interesting than it really is!).
I enjoy Freud's original work however. The opening poem, 'Squid Sonnet', is one that I particularly liked. In some places her voice seems undeveloped - a bit 'tell', rather than 'show', a bit less vital and vibrant than the work of the fully-formed, mature poetry of Jo Shapcott, for example - but I can see that there is a unique vision under there. I'd recommend borrowing this book from the library and studying it - for me personally, it's poetry to study, rather than to savour.
Gillian Clarke's 'Collected Poems'. Now there's a completely different kettle of fish. Some poetry to really get stuck into. Images and words that you can really taste. And I've only read one section so far!
Gillian Clarke is the Welsh equivalent of Poet Laureate, and I can see why. She writes beautifully, in a variety of forms and styles, with a fully-formed voice that is all her own. She touches so many subjects, absolutely expertly. My favourites include 'Pipistrelle', 'Today' and 'Oranges'. I love the way that she sticks in little bits of Welsh, words that have no exact translation in English, but that fit the meaning perfectly (they are explained - 100% English-speaker friendly, and aren't too numerous, so don't be put off).
I may write a fuller review when I've read more. But for now, all I can say is that if you enjoy poetry, read Gillian Clarke!
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