Poetry Readers Challenge discussion

Stunned is the word that leaps to my mind in reaction to reading Gabriel. Hirsch’s book-length poem about his son’s life and death is an elegy, a eulogy, a lament, a rant, but most of all, a love song. Written in tercets, without punctuation, the poem captures the roller coaster of grief, the rushing forward and holding back. At the same time, it is a perfect form for the story of a young man diagnosed with Tourette’s, which is also characterized by bursts and abrupt halts. There are ten tercets to each page; Hirsch’s precise line breaks propel the reader forward, sometimes hurtling, and sometimes a bit more contemplative. He is a master at picking up and slowing down the pace of the poem.

In an interview with Tim Adams, published in The Guardian, Hirsch says “Gabriel was not a shrinking violet, he imposed himself on a room. He wanted people to know him.” This book imposes itself on the reader; unable to put it down, I have returned to passage after passage, finding new nuggets each time.
The book opens with Hirsch at the funeral home.
The funeral director opened the coffin
And there he was alone
From the waist up

Hirsch then goes back in time and shares his son with readers. Gabriel bounces off the pages, careens through life experiences, and settles firmly in the heart of the reader.
Some nights I could not tell
If he was the wrecking ball
Or the building it crashed into

Hirsch shares the humorous as well as the horrifying. He invites the reader into the raw, open wound of his grief.
I did not know the work of mourning
Is like carrying a bag of cement
Up a mountain at night

This is one of the few books I want to gush over. I am actually carrying it in my briefcase, sneaking a few minutes to re-read pages during the day. As a bereaved grandmother, I feel validated and understood; as a poet, I am in awe.

Gabriel: A Poem

Wow, that's a strong recommendation, Nina. While the subject matter doesn't exactly appeal to me, this sounds simply like great poetry and I've been curious about long works so I will definitely add this book to my wish list.

Interesting review, Nina. Thanks for posting. I really enjoy reading reviews where the reviewer either feels very strongly in favor of or very strongly opposed to the poems they've just read. I much prefer them to the bloodless, dutiful ones.