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In The Seven Deadly Sins and Other Poems, veteran poet David R. Slavitt
touches on topics from the mundane to the mysterious with
his signature wit and intelligence. In “Stupid,”
for instance, he transforms a simple head cold into an appreciation
for the richness of consciousness, and in “Waking,”
the very effort of rising from bed becomes something like
a miracle: “I heave myself up to a sitting position,
pause / a moment, and am amazed by what I have done. . . .”
Slavitt explores the range of the human condition with such
ease and insight that readers cannot help but ponder what
life is—and what it could be. What if—like the
mythic sea creature in “The Dogfish”—humans
could return to the womb when frightened? In the collection’s
title poem, Slavitt gives a voice to the Seven Deadly Sins,
each of which claims, persuasively, to possess a value to
humans that is seldom noticed or appreciated. Slavitt has
a unique ability to examine an idea—be it virtue or
vice, dark or blithe—and offer perspective and wisdom
about the conundrums of our existence.
David R. Slavitt has published more than
eighty books of poetry, fiction, translations, and nonfiction.
His recent poetry collections are Change of Address: Poems,
New and Selected and William Henry Harrison and Other
Poems. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. |
