About the book
In the title poem of The Swing Girl, a Greek burial relic with an image of a small child on her swing suggests the ability to move between present culture and the ghosts of history, between modern metaphor and the rhetoric of myth. Katherine Soniat celebrates this fluidity and the detached yet vulnerable perception that comes with it: \"The territory that girl could cover, her eyes peering birdlike / across the grove. The air, a vector.\"
Soniat's new collection contemplates the present through the fragmented lens of history. She swings the reader out across time, to ancient Greece and China, and into the chaos of contemporary war in Serbia and Iraq. The ever-changing point of view disorients, so that ultimately even the daylight overhead seems uncertain: \"... the far smear of daylight, granular and moony.\" Loss provides the substance of history and myth, sounding the dark, minor key of elegy for lives and geographies cracking under pressure.
In Soniat's poems the precarious puzzle of this world shatters, only to begin again in startling new ways: \"The story of the mountain always points somewhere / else, elusive as the tawny lion disappearing behind / the next high crag.\"
Editions of The Swing Girl
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807138946
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807138960
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807138977
- PDF
- ISBN 9780807138953
Read an Excerpt
In the title poem of The Swing Girl, a Greek burial relic with an image of a small child on her swing suggests the ability to move between present culture and the ghosts of history, between modern metaphor and the rhetoric of myth. Katherine Soniat celebrates this fluidity and the detached yet vulnerable perception that comes with it: \"The territory that girl could cover, her eyes peering birdlike / across the grove. The air, a vector.\"
Soniat's new collection contemplates the present through the fragmented lens of history. She swings the reader out across time, to ancient Greece and China, and into the chaos of contemporary war in Serbia and Iraq. The ever-changing point of view disorients, so that ultimately even the daylight overhead seems uncertain: \"... the far smear of daylight, granular and moony.\" Loss provides the substance of history and myth, sounding the dark, minor key of elegy for lives and geographies cracking under pressure.
In Soniat's poems the precarious puzzle of this world shatters, only to begin again in startling new ways: \"The story of the mountain always points somewhere / else, elusive as the tawny lion disappearing behind / the next high crag.\"
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Swing Girl about?
In the title poem of The Swing Girl, a Greek burial relic with an image of a small child on her swing suggests the ability to move between present culture and the ghosts of history, between modern metaphor and the rhetoric of myth. Katherine Soniat celebrates this fluidity and the detached yet vulnerable perception that comes with it: \"The territory that girl could cover, her eyes peering birdlike / across the grove. The air, a vector.\"
Soniat's new collection contemplates the present through the fragmented lens of history. She swings the reader out across time, to ancient Greece and China, and into the chaos of contemporary war in Serbia and Iraq. The ever-changing point of view disorients, so that ultimately even the daylight overhead seems uncertain: \"... the far smear of daylight, granular and moony.\" Loss provides the substance of history and myth, sounding the dark, minor key of elegy for lives and geographies cracking under pressure.
In Soniat's poems the precarious puzzle of this world shatters, only to begin again in startling new ways: \"The story of the mountain always points somewhere / else, elusive as the tawny lion disappearing behind / the next high crag.\"
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Swing Girl?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Poetry / Poems
Where can I read a sample of The Swing Girl?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807138946
How long is The Swing Girl and how many pages does it have?
The Swing Girl has 88 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Swing Girl?
Katherine Soniat
Who is the Publisher of the book The Swing Girl?
LSU Press
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Swing Girl is available as paperback(ISBN 9780807138946) and ebook(ISBN 9780807138960) and ebook(ISBN 9780807138977) and pdf(ISBN 9780807138953)
Where can I buy The Swing Girl online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The Swing Girl from below
Where can I buy The Swing Girl?