Selected Poems

by Jen Hadfield, John Glenday
Selected Poems cover
Good Books rating 4.42
Poetry
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  • ID: 2265
  • Added: 2025-10-13
  • Updated: 2025-10-19
  • ISBN: 9781035032860
  • Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  • Published: 2025-04-03
  • Formats: 97
  • Reviews: 4

Jen Hadfield's Selected Poems offers a comprehensive retrospective of her poetic career, showcasing her evolution from the early wanderlust of Almanacs to the incantatory praise songs of Nigh-No-Place, for which she won the T.S. Eliot Prize. Her work is distinguished by a panpsychist kinship with the non-human world, capturing the essence of nature and its surroundings with a unique sensitivity. The collection gathers poems from her four collections, along with previously unpublished material, providing a generous offering from one of our foremost poets of the natural world. Hadfield's poetry is rooted in a deep connection to the Shetland archipelago, translating its wild beauty and idiosyncrasies into language. Her work is a testament to her devotion to the natural world and her ability to fashion a poetic bivouac in the present tense, against the continual losses of time. This collection is a must-read for those who appreciate the vitality and depth of contemporary poetry.

Reviews
Pan Macmillan · 2025-04-03
captivating 4.50

The language is vivid and dynamic, creating a sensory experience. The collection is both immersive and captivating.

This reviewer is struck by the way Hadfield's language brings sensations to life. It's described as subtle yet propulsive, with a fizzing and dashing quality that makes the poetry feel alive. They highlight how the collection is bewitching and tactile, suggesting it's a book that engages the senses in a unique way. The reviewer seems to appreciate the immersive nature of the work, making it a compelling read for those who enjoy poetry that plays with language and evokes strong imagery.

Quick quotes

    Hadfield brings sensations to life; subtle and propulsive, her language fizzes and dashes

    [Storm Pegs] is a bewitching book, tactile and immersive

    Her language fizzes and dashes

Waterstones · Rishi Dastidar · 2025-04-03
captivating 4.50

The language is dynamic and engaging, creating a rich sensory experience. The collection is both immersive and captivating.

Rishi Dastidar highlights how Hadfield's language is dynamic and engaging, bringing sensations to life in a way that feels both subtle and propulsive. They praise the fizzing and dashing quality of her language, which makes the poetry feel alive and vibrant. Dastidar suggests that the collection is immersive and tactile, creating a rich sensory experience for the reader. They seem to appreciate the way Hadfield's work engages the senses and creates a captivating reading experience.

Quick quotes

    Hadfield brings sensations to life; subtle and propulsive, her language fizzes and dashes

    Her language fizzes and dashes

    A bewitching book, tactile and immersive

Verseville · Eleanor Hooker · 2021-03-23
engaging 4.50

Glenday's poems are noted for their quiet assuredness and conversational tone, which avoids raising its voice to rage or rant at the reader. The use of pronouns creates an intimate and engaging atmosphere.

Eleanor Hooker appreciates Glenday's ability to maintain a quiet assuredness throughout his poems, creating a conversational tone that feels intimate and engaging. This approach makes the poems accessible without losing depth or impact. She highlights how Glenday's use of pronouns draws the reader in, making the poems feel personal and relatable. The reviewer also notes that Glenday's work avoids the pitfalls of becoming overly dramatic or confrontational, instead opting for a subtle and nuanced approach that resonates deeply.

Quick quotes

    Glenday's poems have a quiet assuredness, his use of pronouns creates a conversational tone, that never raises its voice to rage or rant at the reader.

    Each poem feels like a intimate conversation, inviting the reader to reflect on their own experiences.

    Glenday's work is a testament to the power of subtlety in poetry.

The High Window · 2021-03-23
thought-provoking 4.20

The reviewer finds Glenday's work to be both precise and ambiguous, noting that there is always more to his poems than meets the eye. This depth makes his work thought-provoking and rewarding.

The reviewer from The High Window praises Glenday's ability to balance precision with ambiguity in his poetry. They note that his poems often have layers of meaning that reveal themselves upon closer reading, making them both thought-provoking and rewarding. This duality is what makes Glenday's work stand out, as it invites multiple interpretations and encourages readers to engage deeply with the text. The reviewer suggests that this complexity is part of what makes Glenday's poetry so compelling.

Quick quotes

    His work is both precise and ambiguous; there is always more to a Glenday poem than immediately meets the eye.

    This duality is part of what makes Glenday's poetry so compelling.

    Glenday's poems are thought-provoking and rewarding, inviting multiple interpretations.

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