Martonfi’s voice is productively restless. Danger forces the refugee on the road, but she can still appreciate the beauty in a field of flowers.
Category: Poetry
“Index”: an HTMElegy
On CKUT (McGill Campus Radio) this week on Monday and at the launch for the Veg magazine yesterday, I read some magical poems I composed recently. One was inspired by Gwendolyn MacEwen and John Dee, the other was an elimination of James Frazer's The Golden Bough, and the last was a pantoum, a fabulously musical …
Poetry Launch at the Veg!
The semester is just about over and it's time for some poetry! The Veg, one of McGill's student literary magazines, is holding a launch later tonight at 8:00pm at Le Cagibi, where I will be reading a selection of poems including my haiku. I will be running a fuller post next week describing the event …
For the Sun
Haiku is a simple form. It combines two like images to create a third. Ezra Pound's haiku was the result of several long, many-stanza drafts. It was about a station in the Paris metro. He paired his imagery down to three lines. This poem is "For the Sun." It will be published in The Veg. …
Whylah Falls by George Elliott Clarke
For Black History Month, I thought I'd share a Canadian poet whose lush, cadenced verse is like Nova Scotian blues. I'm talking about Whylah Falls by George Elliott Clarke. I read it studying Can lit with Professor Robert Lecker in my last semester at McGill and we had fascinating discussions in class. Some background: Whylah …
Beyond this Dark House by Guy Gavriel Kay
You may know Guy Gavriel Kay as a historical fantasy novelist, author of River of Stars, a book that continues to be nominated for various awards. But did you know that he is also a poet? Beyond this Dark House is that obscure volume of poetry you might have remembered seeing just before the title …
Witness by Patrick Lane
On the cover of Patrick Lane's Witness, a poetry collection of his most powerful verse, there is a picture of a barn owl staring at you with those wide-set eyes that are so effective at seeing in the dark. This owl is the perfect metaphor for a poet who does just that. Despite the darkness …
Matthew Rettino 