Nine Fathom Deep

Exploring the intersection of personal and social realities

David J Constantine author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Bloodaxe Books Ltd

Published:29th Jan '09

Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date

Nine Fathom Deep cover

In Nine Fathom Deep, David Constantine explores the intersection of personal life and societal challenges, highlighting resilience and hope through poetry.

David Constantine's Nine Fathom Deep presents a collection of poetry that is deeply rooted in a humane perspective of existence. The poems explore how personal experiences intertwine with broader social and political realities, emphasizing the struggle for survival and the desire for a world where humane self-realization flourishes. Through his work, Constantine reflects on the complexities of life, asserting that personal joys and sorrows can resist the often dispiriting forces of the world.

In the title poem, Nine Fathom Deep, the imagery of lovers responding to a looming threat serves as a metaphor for hope amidst adversity. This collection draws inspiration from European poetic traditions, showcasing a commitment to exploring the human condition. The poems are a testament to the resilience of personal life, demonstrating how love and connection can counterbalance the destructive tendencies present in society.

Throughout Nine Fathom Deep, readers are invited to engage with themes of survival and the quest for a better world. The poetry not only reflects the struggles of contemporary life but also offers a vision of possibility, suggesting that through art and personal expression, one can aspire to create a more humane and fulfilling existence. Constantine's work ultimately champions the idea that poetry can be a powerful force for change, advocating for a world where self-realization is increasingly attainable.

The mood is both tender and desperate, with something of the uncanny in its blend of the recognisably human and apparently Other... His religious regard for the world (not the same thing as religious conviction) produces a strange translation of its ordinary terms. Its colours and joys and terrors are heightened as though by fever, yet at the same time brought into clearer focus. -- Sean O'Brien * Poetry Review *
Constantine's peculiar vision is an uneasy blend of the exquisite and the everyday...the beatific, the ordinary, the rebarbative even, are almost indistinguishable... Overwhelmingly the poems are intelligent and well-turned, setting out the tensions between innocence and experience with fine control. -- Elizabeth Lowry * TLS *

ISBN: 9781852248215

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

88 pages