Comments on: Afterlives by Derek Mahon http://rinabeana.com/poemoftheday/index.php/2008/08/03/afterlives-by-derek-mahon/ Thu, 24 May 2012 06:52:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Edmund Prestwich http://rinabeana.com/poemoftheday/index.php/2008/08/03/afterlives-by-derek-mahon/#comment-39294 Edmund Prestwich Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:55:45 +0000 http://rinabeana.com/poemoftheday/index.php/2008/08/03/afterlives-by-derek-mahon/#comment-39294 A brilliant poem of great tonal subtlety and complexity of feeling. This partly derives from the way in which harsh and soft elements are intercut with and made to challenge each other. The harshness was extreme in the original version, with the offensive "cunts" in the place of the weak "twits" in the first line of the fourth stanza. It's easy to see why Mahon felt unable to let that stand, though I've argued and still feel that the change weakens the poem. Mahon's two most recent books, Life on Earth and An Autumn Wind are presumably not represented in the Norton Anthology but they are immensely worth reading. He's one of our best poets and his career is well worth following all through. A brilliant poem of great tonal subtlety and complexity of feeling. This partly derives from the way in which harsh and soft elements are intercut with and made to challenge each other. The harshness was extreme in the original version, with the offensive “cunts” in the place of the weak “twits” in the first line of the fourth stanza. It’s easy to see why Mahon felt unable to let that stand, though I’ve argued and still feel that the change weakens the poem.

Mahon’s two most recent books, Life on Earth and An Autumn Wind are presumably not represented in the Norton Anthology but they are immensely worth reading. He’s one of our best poets and his career is well worth following all through.

]]>