317:, said the collection "makes rich use of symbol, especially biblical symbol, and reads somewhat like a modern-day Book of Revelation – there’s definitely something of the entranced, ecstatic visionary in some of the bravura pieces here". He added that it "delivers a stream of feverish, oneiric visions, of apocalypse brought about through war or environmental catastrophe or the boundless human capacity for self‑deception and bedevilment". According to
303:, and Harsent dedicated the volume to him. The poem "Armistice" consists of one single sentence, without punctuation, organized in couplets all of which rhyme on the sound of the letter "d". Newey called this a "virtuosic piece" that "disdains simplistic notions about peace and war and has the humility to acknowledge the limits of art".
285:
reviewer Adam Newey, has a "hellish for-its-own-sake purity, which is nonetheless impressive and mesmerizing", and like the Askew group includes a bonfire to introduce the poem's subject matter. In this poem, the speaker is burning works of arts and literature, and burning of the written word is a
151:(2010). The four "Fire" sequences all have a common theme, destruction. Martyrdom, war, the loss of love and environmental apocalypse end each sequence to repeat the threat "it will be fire". Other recurring themes are rats, tinnitus, war, and environmental damage. Harsent, who suffers from
29:
143:, teems with images and ideas that manage to be both richly detailed and vividly musical. The entire book reads as a triumphantly sustained sequence and is layered with leitmotifs. It is denser and more composed than its prize-winning predecessors
372:
451:
279:. Harsent describes the execution of Askew because "She was an example of the destructiveness of fire". "Fire: love songs and descants", according to
548:
393:
538:
431:
103:
543:
296:: "I had this image in my head of a man going into his garden and making a bonfire on which he planned to burn everything".
286:
recurrent motif. It reveals the theme the loss of love as the speaker no longer loves literature. In an interview with
533:
478:
299:
The poem "Tinnitus" addresses
Harsent's musical career; Harsent frequently collaborates with British composer
300:
288:
276:
120:
that uses multiple themes to display a greater meaning. It was published in 2014, and it won the
427:
322:
140:
121:
98:
377:
272:
73:
28:
505:
346:
527:
318:
136:
117:
39:
483:
398:
313:
281:
421:
373:"Fire Songs by David Harsent, book review: Author finds an early late flowering"
268:
260:
329:
plumbs language and emotion with technical brilliance and prophetic power".
124:
that year. It is the 11th collection of poems that
Harsent has published.
259:"Fire: a song for Mistress Askew" is set in London, England, and follows
152:
452:"TS Eliot winner David Harsent: 'I wrote Fire Songs in a kind of fever'"
394:"David Harsent: 'If I can't hear the music, I don't think it is a poem'"
263:, an English writer and Protestant Martyr who was condemned for being a
264:
271:, and became the only woman in English history to be tortured in the
321:, a British poet and the chair of judges that awarded Harsent the
479:"Fire Songs review – David Harsent's apocalyptic collection"
97:
89:
79:
69:
61:
53:
45:
35:
116:is a collection of poetry written by English poet
57:Poetry > Subjects & Themes > General
8:
292:, Harsent commented on the bonfire motif in
21:
139:, a British poet and a judge for the 2015
27:
20:
338:
16:2014 poetry collection by David Harsent
7:
472:
470:
468:
445:
443:
155:, said he "wrote them in a fever".
506:"Poet Harsent wins TS Eliot Prize"
392:Kellaway, Kate (18 January 2015).
14:
239:Fire: a party at the world's end
180:August, sun beating the rooftops
549:T. S. Eliot Prize-winning works
233:January, thin rain becoming ice
164:Fire: a song for Mistress Askew
477:Newey, Adam (2 January 2015).
423:The Examinations of Anne Askew
1:
217:Fire: end-scenes and outtakes
195:Fire: love songs and descants
426:. Oxford University Press.
565:
539:English poetry collections
205:May, low skies and thunder
228:Songs from the Same Earth
26:
187:Leechdoms and Starcrafts
544:Faber & Faber books
267:during the dynasty of
247:M.A.D. 1971 (Rat-run)
420:Askew, Anne (1996).
301:Harrison Birtwistle
238:
23:
277:burnt at the stake
534:2014 poetry books
508:. 12 January 2015
351:Poetry Foundation
323:T. S. Eliot Prize
190:The Fool at Court
141:T. S. Eliot Prize
122:T. S. Eliot Prize
109:
108:
556:
518:
517:
515:
513:
502:
496:
495:
493:
491:
474:
463:
462:
460:
458:
447:
438:
437:
417:
411:
410:
408:
406:
389:
383:
382:
369:
363:
362:
360:
358:
343:
222:Trickster Christ
81:Publication date
31:
24:
564:
563:
559:
558:
557:
555:
554:
553:
524:
523:
522:
521:
511:
509:
504:
503:
499:
489:
487:
476:
475:
466:
456:
454:
450:Rahim, Sameer.
449:
448:
441:
434:
419:
418:
414:
404:
402:
391:
390:
386:
378:The Independent
371:
370:
366:
356:
354:
347:"David Harsent"
345:
344:
340:
335:
311:Adam Newey, in
309:
273:Tower of London
257:
241:
219:
197:
166:
161:
135:, according to
130:
82:
74:Faber and Faber
17:
12:
11:
5:
562:
560:
552:
551:
546:
541:
536:
526:
525:
520:
519:
497:
464:
439:
432:
412:
384:
364:
353:. 21 June 2019
337:
336:
334:
331:
308:
305:
256:
253:
252:
251:
248:
245:
240:
237:
236:
235:
229:
226:
223:
218:
215:
214:
213:
210:
207:
201:
196:
193:
192:
191:
188:
185:
182:
176:
173:
170:
169:The Fool Alone
165:
162:
160:
157:
129:
126:
107:
106:
101:
95:
94:
91:
87:
86:
83:
80:
77:
76:
71:
67:
66:
63:
59:
58:
55:
51:
50:
47:
43:
42:
37:
33:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
561:
550:
547:
545:
542:
540:
537:
535:
532:
531:
529:
507:
501:
498:
486:
485:
480:
473:
471:
469:
465:
453:
446:
444:
440:
435:
433:9780195108491
429:
425:
424:
416:
413:
401:
400:
395:
388:
385:
380:
379:
374:
368:
365:
352:
348:
342:
339:
332:
330:
328:
324:
320:
319:Helen Dunmore
316:
315:
306:
304:
302:
297:
295:
291:
290:
284:
283:
278:
274:
270:
266:
262:
254:
249:
246:
243:
242:
234:
230:
227:
224:
221:
220:
216:
211:
208:
206:
202:
199:
198:
194:
189:
186:
183:
181:
177:
174:
171:
168:
167:
163:
158:
156:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
137:Fiona Sampson
134:
127:
125:
123:
119:
118:David Harsent
115:
114:
105:
104:9780571316090
102:
100:
96:
92:
88:
84:
78:
75:
72:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
44:
41:
40:David Harsent
38:
34:
30:
25:
19:
510:. Retrieved
500:
488:. Retrieved
484:The Guardian
482:
455:. Retrieved
422:
415:
403:. Retrieved
399:The Guardian
397:
387:
376:
367:
355:. Retrieved
350:
341:
326:
314:The Guardian
312:
310:
298:
293:
287:
282:The Guardian
280:
258:
232:
204:
184:A Dream Book
179:
175:Sang The Rat
172:Bowland Beth
148:
144:
132:
131:
112:
111:
110:
18:
147:(2005) and
22:Fire Songs
528:Categories
333:References
327:Fire Songs
294:Fire Songs
269:Henry VIII
261:Anne Askew
231:Tinnitus:
203:Tinnitus:
178:Tinnitus:
133:Fire Songs
113:Fire Songs
307:Reception
212:Armistice
209:Rat Again
159:Structure
70:Publisher
289:Prospect
244:Icefield
200:Effacted
153:tinnitus
128:Overview
46:Language
512:30 June
490:26 June
457:21 June
405:30 June
357:21 June
265:heretic
255:Content
54:Subject
49:English
430:
145:Legion
65:Poetry
36:Author
149:Night
90:Pages
62:Genre
514:2019
492:2019
459:2019
428:ISBN
407:2019
359:2019
275:and
250:Pain
225:Dive
99:ISBN
85:2014
325:, "
530::
481:.
467:^
442:^
396:.
375:.
349:.
93:66
516:.
494:.
461:.
436:.
409:.
381:.
361:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
