Collected Poems 1931-74

Lawrence Durrell, James A. Brigham

• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Year: 2012
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9780571288809
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism in Poetry
• Index: Literature

Lawrence Durrell's success as a novelist may have tended to obscure his achievement as a poet and in poetry. It is primarily as a lyrical poet of places that he was acknowledged to excel, but in Collected Poems it will be found that the range of feeling and ideas, of wit and experience, and also of style, is remarkable. The whole volume is charged with Durrell's response to the 'spirit of place', which is one of this exceptional gifts as a writer.

'They range from affecting and beautiful love poems to skilful, succinct portraits and robust ballads . . . Rich in ideas.' -- Alan Ross

'As a lyrical poet . . . he is the equal of Auden.' -- Gavin Ewart

'Durrell's poetry compels the highest standard of judgement . . . The effect of reading him is to have one's love of poetry rekindled . . . Genuine life, genuine emotion, genuine art.' -- John Wain

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• To the Reader
• THE GIFT
• PIONEER
• INCONSTANCY
• HAPPY VAGABOND
• SONNET ASTRAY
• THE BEGINNING
• HIGHWAYMAN
• CRISIS
• DARK GRECIAN
• ECHOES: I
• FUTILITY
• LARGESSE
• ECHOES: II
• CANDLE-LIGHT
• CHRIST A MODERN
• A DEDICATION
• FINIS
• TREASURE
• DISCOVERY OF LOVE
• PLEA
• LOST
• QUESTION
• LOVE’S INABILITY
• Cueillez dès Aujourd’huy les Roses de la Vie
• RETURN
• Je Deviens Immortel dans tes Bras
• RETREAT
• BALLADE OF SLOW DECAY
• TULLIOLA
• LYRIC
• WHEAT-FIELD
• FACES
• LOVE POEMS
• MASS FOR THE OLD YEAR
• THE DEATH OF GENERAL UNCEBUNKE: A BIOGRAPHY IN LITTLE
• EGYPTIAN POEM
• CAROL ON CORFU
• LINES TO MUSIC
• THEMES HERALDIC
• LOGOS
• THE HANGED MAN
• FATHER NICHOLAS HIS DEATH: CORFU
• ADAM
• PARIS JOURNAL
• THE POET
• THE EGG
• A SMALL SCRIPTURE
• ‘A SOLILOQUY OF HAMLET’
• THE SERMON
• THE PRAYER-WHEEL
• GREEN MAN
• IN CRISIS
• AT CORINTH
• NEMEA
• IN ARCADIA
• A NOCTUARY IN ATHENS
• DAPHNIS AND CHLOE
• FANGBRAND A BIOGRAPHY
• AT EPIDAURUS
• LETTER TO SEFERIS THE GREEK
• FOR A NURSERY MIRROR
• TO PING-KÛ, ASLEEP
• TO ARGOS
• ‘Je est un Autre’
• CONON IN EXILE
• ON FIRST LOOKING INTO LOEB’S HORACE
• ON ITHACA STANDING
• EXILE IN ATHENS
• A BALLAD OF THE GOOD LORD NELSON
• COPTIC POEM
• MYTHOLOGY
• MATAPAN
• ECHO
• THIS UNIMPORTANT MORNING
• BYRON
• LA ROCHEFOUCAULD
• PEARLS
• HELOISE AND ABELARD
• CONON IN ALEXANDRIA
• MAREOTIS
• CONON THE CRITIC ON THE SIX LANDSCAPE PAINTERS OF GREECE
• WATER MUSIC
• DELOS
• THE PILOT
• THE PARTHENON
• IN EUROPE
• PRESSMARKED URGENT
• TWO POEMS IN BASIC ENGLISH
• LEVANT
• GREEK CHURCH: ALEXANDRIA
• NOTEBOOK
• EIGHT ASPECTS OF MELISSA
• POSSIBLE WORLDS
• ALEXANDRIA
• POGGIO
• BLIND HOMER
• FABRE
• CITIES, PLAINS AND PEOPLE
• RODINI
• IN THE GARDEN: VILLA CLEOBOLUS
• ETERNAL CONTEMPORARIES: SIX PORTRAITS
• ELEGY ON THE CLOSING OF THE FRENCH BROTHELS
• POMONA DE MAILLOL
• ANNIVERSARY
• THE CRITICS
• PHILEREMO
• SONG FOR ZARATHUSTRA
• POLITICS
• THE DAILY MIRROR
• SONG
• PENELOPE
• SWANS
• BERE REGIS
• ON SEEMING TO PRESUME
• SELF TO NOT-SELF
• PATMOS
• THE LOST CITIES
• FUNCHAL
• HIGH SIERRA
• GREEN COCONUTS: RIO
• CHRIST IN BRAZIL
• THE ANECDOTES
• A WATER-COLOUR OF VENICE
• DEUS LOCI
• EPITAPH
• EDUCATION OF A CLOUD
• THE SIRENS
• CHANEL
• CRADLE SONG
• CLOUDS OF GLORY
• RIVER WATER
• SARAJEVO
• A BOWL OF ROSES
• LESBOS
• LETTERS IN DARKNESS
• ON MIRRORS
• ORPHEUS
• MNEIAE
• NIKI
• THE DYING FALL
• POEM
• AT STRATI’S
• THE TREE OF IDLENESS
• BITTER LEMONS
• NEAR KYRENIA
• EPISODE
• THE MEETING
• JOHN DONNE
• BALLAD OF PSYCHOANALYSIS
• AT THE LONG BAR
• STYLE
• THASOS
• A PORTRAIT OF THEODORA
• ASPHODELS: CHALCIDICE
• FREEDOM
• NEAR PAPHOS
• THE OCTAGON ROOM
• EVA BRAUN’S DREAM
• THE COTTAGER
• NIGHT EXPRESS
• MYTHOLOGY
• CAVAFY
• BALLAD OF KRETSCHMER’S TYPES
• BALLAD OF THE OEDIPUS COMPLEX
• APHRODITE
• ELEUSIS
• A PERSIAN LADY
• PURSEWARDEN’S INCORRIGIBILIA
• FRANKIE AND JOHNNY
• BYZANCE
• ODE TO A LUKEWARM EYEBROW
• OLIVES
• SCAFFOLDINGS: PLAKA
• STONE HONEY
• CONGENIES
• PICCADILLY
• STRIP-TEASE
• IN THE MARGIN
• POEMANDRES
• PORTFOLIO
• PRIX BLONDEL
• SUMMER
• DELPHI
• SALAMIS
• TROY
• IO
• ONE GREY GREEK STONE
• LEECHES
• GEISHAS
• THE IKONS
• APTEROS
• KEEPSAKE
• CAPE DRASTI
• NORTH WEST
• THE INITIATION
• ACROPOLIS
• PERSUASIONS
• MOONLIGHT
• BLOOD-COUNT
• KASYAPA
• VIDOURLE
• PAULLUS TO CORNELIA
• PRESS INTERVIEW
• CONFEDERATE
• OWED TO AMERICA
• THE OUTER LIMITS
• SOLANGE
• THE RECKONING
• NOBODY
• RAIN, RAIN, GO TO SPAIN
• APHROS MEANING SPUME
• A WINTER OF VAMPIRES
• FAUSTUS
• PISTOL WEATHER
• LAKE MUSIC
• STOIC
• ?
• SIXTIES
• AVIS
• ONE PLACE
• REVENANTS
• THE LAND
• JOSS
• AVIGNON
• INCOGNITO
• SWIMMERS
• BLUE
• MISTRAL
• ENVOI
• LAST HEARD OF
• SEFERIS
• VEGA
• POEM FOR KATHARINE FALLEY BENNETT’S BIRTHDAY
• VAUMORT
• SPRING SONG
• HEY, MISTER, THERE’S A BULGE IN YOUR COMPUTER
• ON THE SUCHNESS OF THE OLD BOY
• THE OPHITE
• ALPHABETA
• A FAREWELL
• MANDRAKE ROOT
• APESONG
• WANT TO LIVE DON’T YOU?
• THE GREY PENITENTS
• DUBLIN
• SAGES
• BY THE SEA
• CICADA
• THE MUSES
• CERTAIN LANDFALLS
• A PATCH OF DUST
• POSTMARK
• IN DEEP GRASS
• Index of First Lines
• About the Author
• Copyright