Poetry Readers Challenge discussion

I found out about this book through the Youtube channel TheOnlyRealProperty. While listening to how it didn't work for her, I realized it might be right up my alley. She mentioned technical language that was putting her off and I found that intriguing. The Principle of Rapid Peering takes a lot of inspiration from plant and bird and moth field guides. Sylvia Legris lives on the plains of Sascatchewan in Canada. Some of the books important to her in writing this book had the following titles: Rushes, Bulrushes and Pondweeds plus the remaining Monocots of Saskatchewan; Moths: A Complete Guide to Biology and Behavior; and Saskatchewan Birds.

Before getting Lyme disease, I was an outdoorsy gal so this was right up my alley and reminded me of one of my favorite poets, Pattiann Rogers, so my curiosity was piqued and I have not been disappointed. But I will say this: if you're someone who is frustrated if they don't understand the meaning of words, and you're not into biology, botany or ecology, you may find this book aggravating or dull.

I just now randomly opened the book and my eye landed on "conspicuous lenticels." I don't especially care what that phrase means. I love the sound of it. It delights me regardless of what it means. For me, there's something slightly humorous about it.

I find the inclusion of specific scientific language in this book to be used playfully, which can also be true of the poetry of Pattiann Rogers. In fact, I would say that Legris is a like a mix of Ted Kooser (short lines and brief observations and the plains as inspiration), Pattiann Rogers (sometimes technical biological and botanical language and language fun), and Gertrude Stein (sometimes the whole point seems to be the sound of the language).

All that said, Legris is not a biologist who has turned to poetry but a poet engaging with her environment. One of her poems is a cheeky take on Wallace Stevens' "13 Ways of Looking at at a Blackbird." Legris' poem is titled "A Rolling Moth Etymology" and has 11 sections. Here are sections 5 & 7:

5
Nits, gnats, an etymon of moth is midge.
A collision of no-see-um and no escapin'.

7
The reciprocal duties of hospitality are not lost on the moth.
Take the populous poplar, a popular host--
The spotted tussock moth caterpillar feasts all season
and where there were leaves leaves lace, a brocade of moonlight.

Here's "Smell Giveaway (Threes on long stalks)" as an example of something I'm willing to take as verbal impressionism as much as I would visual impressionism:

Galium triflorum.
Gallium Sphynx Caterpillar.

The breathing swale trails
the horned and hovering,

the sweet-scented bedstraw,
the ascending bedstraw hawkmoth.

Dusk-feeding nightfall,
a bullbatting nighthawk,

a loggerhead of grebe and shrike,
pipit, pipit, pipit.

Could you learn something by looking all of that up? Sure. But I enjoy it just from the sounds and the general impression it gives me. But I already have a set of association with most of those words so it's not as overall befuddling to me as it would be to others.

Descriptions and examples of Legris' poetry in this review begs the question whether this is regional poetry of the northern plains. I would be inclined to say no. It has too much linguistic interest. I would call it nature poetry, though, and would primarily recommend it to people who enjoy nature poetry. It would be a cool book to include as required reading in an ecology class because of the way it often connects the ground with the sky.

So those are my thoughts on The Principle of Rapid Peering by Sylvia Legris. I hope this gives you some insight into whether it would be an engaging poetry read for any of you.

What a terrific and thoughtful review!

Thank you for the encouragement, Nina. I hope you're doing well.