Greg Simison, Disturbances

Alexis Ratz (Independent Scholar - North America)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

The cover of

Disturbances

(1981), Greg Simison’s first book of poetry, suggests that the volume will leave a reader feeling content: the illustration of a jolly-looking teddy bear in the bathroom mirror is somehow comforting. However, the volume’s 54 free verse lyric poems, as the title suggests, deal largely with traumas—mental, emotional and moral: “...my best work / has always stemmed from conflict / / ...a little creative agony” (40). The poems are short (the longest being 33 lines in three stanzas), an emotional, at times intensely introspective, reaction to disappointments and injustices in society, romance, and humanity’s treatment of nature.

The opening (and title) poem introduces an isolated and cynical tone (in this case regarding intimacy) which permeates the work:

1625 words

Citation: Ratz, Alexis. "Disturbances". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 September 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16379, accessed 28 March 2024.]

16379 Disturbances 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.