Clive Donovan’s The Taste of Glass offers readers a masterclass in contemporary poetry, blending intricate themes with sharp textual craftsmanship. Published by Leaf Cinnamon Press, this collection excavates profound truths about human existence, love, loss, and our complex relationship with the natural and urban worlds. Donovan’s work resonates with wide readers of contemporary poetry, evoking striking imagery and nuanced emotions that demand contemplation. Below, I’ll delve into thematic concerns, highlight Donovan’s deft use of language, and provide close readings of key poems, showcasing why this collection is essential for literary enthusiasts.
From its titular poem The Taste of Glass to others like Misty Morning and Spring Snow, Donovan captures the fragile yet resilient nature of human experience. The title poem explores a paradoxical union of intimacy and barrier, as the speaker recounts a kiss through glass—both a tender act and an emblem of separation. The imagery of ‘spectacles’ and ‘laughing picture’ frames a dynamic of perception versus reality, urging readers to question the true nature of connection. Themes of alienation and fleeting beauty surface repeatedly, woven into landscapes and personal interactions.
In Daffodils, Donovan critiques commodification and exploitation, transforming Wordsworth’s pastoral icon into a metaphor for loss of innocence. ‘Stretched daffodils…forced into buds and traded in dozens’ invokes a chilling parallel between floral and human suffering. By doing so, Donovan underscores an uncomfortable truth: the cost of beauty often stems from destruction, echoing larger societal critiques.
The opening poem, The Frame, establishes a framework for the collection’s introspection. Its structure mirrors a shifting lens: the speaker observes the world through a physical frame, abstracting it into art. Donovan writes, ‘Selecting compositions, / abstracting dusty tableaux, / angling for scenes I scried’, invoking a painterly precision. The pivotal moment occurs when a second figure enters, ‘kiss[ing] the pane’ and subsequently the speaker. This action transforms the speaker’s detachment into active involvement, symbolising how intimacy disrupts and redefines artistic distance. The enjambment between ‘kiss’ and ‘pane’ creates a visual mimicry of the act, encapsulating the poem’s duality of touch and separation.
In Wires, Donovan uses stark, almost cinematic imagery to reflect on modern alienation. The poem opens with the ‘nervous hum’ of wind against telegraph wires—a sound unnoticed by many but deeply resonant here. Donovan’s diction—’fretted edge’, ‘desolate bone’—imbues the mundane setting with existential weight. At the poem’s heart lies an abandoned object: ‘a block of cement, bag-shaped, / hardened by northern rain.’ This discarded item mirrors human disconnection, its origins and purpose long forgotten. The ‘thin, mournful tune’ that closes the poem underscores how overlooked details often carry the profound.
Donovan’s voice combines a reverence for traditional poetic forms with a willingness to experiment. This duality is evident in his use of stark line breaks and surprising enjambment. What Have You Been Doing? exemplifies his technical brilliance, juxtaposing conversational tone with poignant imagery. The speaker’s observations—’You are one of the people who pierce their own hearts’—linger, refusing resolution, much like the internal conflicts they describe. Donovan’s willingness to leave gaps in narrative invites readers to become collaborators, filling in emotional or thematic blanks.
In Merrie England, Donovan critiques nostalgia with biting satire, transforming a quaint English scene into an indictment of colonial history. The incongruity of ‘shin-kicking farmers’ and ‘manacles from Africa’ jolts readers, refusing the comforts of rose-tinted pastoralism. Here, Donovan’s tonal shifts—from playful to scathing—highlight his dexterity and moral urgency.
The Taste of Glass is a collection that dares readers to confront discomfort while savouring beauty. Donovan’s layered metaphors and precise language make this an indispensable addition to the canon of contemporary poetry. Whether pondering the natural world’s indifference or the complexities of human relationships, Donovan crafts a lyrical mosaic that resonates long after the final page. Wide readers of contemporary poetry will find both solace and challenge within these poems, cementing Donovan’s place as a voice of fearless truth in modern literature.
About the Author
Clive Donovan is the author of two poetry collections, The Taste of Glass [Cinnamon Press] and Wound Up With Love [Lapwing] and is published in a wide variety of magazines including Acumen, Agenda, Crannog, Popshot, Prole and Stand. He lives in Totnes, Devon, UK. He is a Pushcart and Forward Prize nominee for 2022’s best individual poems.
Let’s drop the Hallmark card fantasies. Nature isn’t serene. It’s not here to cradle you while you write love letters to daffodils.
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