This is John Birtwhistle’s first collection of poems since (1985), a Poetry Book Society Recommendation. In the meantime much of his writing has gone into libretti, including performed by English National Opera. He has not, however, been neglecting poetry – as can be seen from the energetic variety of form and tone displayed here. Birtwhistle accepts from modernism the duties of visual clarity, concision, and originality of phrase; but he unites this with a romantic commitment to feeling and to organic form. His subject matter is wide-ranging as ever, but shows a new intensity about the the life cycle. ‘John Birtwhistle is a master craftsman... an impressive variety of forms, expertly handled with elegance and wit. The poet's eye and ear are generally faultless. In every poem language is made to work hard; image and thought are wholly fused, with economy and precision.'- Ian Hughes on in