About the book
“A barrel not of laughs but of contortions, confusions and the occasional dry chortle – and of metre adorned with irregular, sometimes internal rhymes, assonances, alliterations, awkwardnesses and other such trickery unfashionable to the current academic ear, and not a murmur of the poet’s inner angst, failed loves or fortitude.”
This second collection of Cameron’s poetry contains a wide variety of subjects, not all of which are commonly associated with poetry: a weak man is interviewed by angels and devils, an Afghan mystic tells us why he became one, a riposte to Scott’s “Breathes there a man with soul so dead”, taking the side of the man with a dead soul, the English language, a lesson on Italian viticulture, and another on Italian anatomy amongst others.
Reviews
“Cameron confesses to a weariness with poetry’s old forms and concerns, particularly the perennial Romantic subjects of love and exploration of the self. As a corrective, he ... turns his presbyopic gaze outward in a sequence of poems that takes in eco-vandalism, press barons, George W. Bush and death. One admires his determination to reject ... pretension and obscurantism ...”nbsp;– The Sunday Herald on Presbyopia
Editions of A Barrel of Dried Leaves
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781908251640
Read an Excerpt
“A barrel not of laughs but of contortions, confusions and the occasional dry chortle – and of metre adorned with irregular, sometimes internal rhymes, assonances, alliterations, awkwardnesses and other such trickery unfashionable to the current academic ear, and not a murmur of the poet’s inner angst, failed loves or fortitude.”
This second collection of Cameron’s poetry contains a wide variety of subjects, not all of which are commonly associated with poetry: a weak man is interviewed by angels and devils, an Afghan mystic tells us why he became one, a riposte to Scott’s “Breathes there a man with soul so dead”, taking the side of the man with a dead soul, the English language, a lesson on Italian viticulture, and another on Italian anatomy amongst others.
Reviews
“Cameron confesses to a weariness with poetry’s old forms and concerns, particularly the perennial Romantic subjects of love and exploration of the self. As a corrective, he ... turns his presbyopic gaze outward in a sequence of poems that takes in eco-vandalism, press barons, George W. Bush and death. One admires his determination to reject ... pretension and obscurantism ...”nbsp;– The Sunday Herald on Presbyopia
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A Barrel of Dried Leaves about?
“A barrel not of laughs but of contortions, confusions and the occasional dry chortle – and of metre adorned with irregular, sometimes internal rhymes, assonances, alliterations, awkwardnesses and other such trickery unfashionable to the current academic ear, and not a murmur of the poet’s inner angst, failed loves or fortitude.”
This second collection of Cameron’s poetry contains a wide variety of subjects, not all of which are commonly associated with poetry: a weak man is interviewed by angels and devils, an Afghan mystic tells us why he became one, a riposte to Scott’s “Breathes there a man with soul so dead”, taking the side of the man with a dead soul, the English language, a lesson on Italian viticulture, and another on Italian anatomy amongst others.
Reviews
“Cameron confesses to a weariness with poetry’s old forms and concerns, particularly the perennial Romantic subjects of love and exploration of the self. As a corrective, he ... turns his presbyopic gaze outward in a sequence of poems that takes in eco-vandalism, press barons, George W. Bush and death. One admires his determination to reject ... pretension and obscurantism ...”nbsp;– The Sunday Herald on Presbyopia
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in A Barrel of Dried Leaves?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Poetry / Poems > Poetry / poems by individual poets
Where can I read a sample of A Barrel of Dried Leaves?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781908251640
Is A Barrel of Dried Leaves part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Vagabond Poets
Who is/are the Author/s of the book A Barrel of Dried Leaves?
Allan Cameron
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
A Barrel of Dried Leaves is available as paperback(ISBN 9781908251640)
Is there a video of the book?
Watch a video about A Barrel of Dried Leaves here