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A review by amritesh
Darwin: A Life in Poems by Ruth Padel
I was thinking how on earth it came that I,
that am fond of talking
and hardly ever out of spirits,
should so entirely rest
my notions of happiness
on quiet. The explanation, I believe,
is very simple. During the voyage
my whole pleasure was derived
from what passed in my own mind
admiring by myself extraordinary views
while travelling wild desert
and glorious forest. Excuse
this much egotism! I give it to you
because you will soon teach me
there's greater happiness
than building theories
and accumulating the facts
in silence and solitude.
This is, as the cover states, a biography of Darwin, written entirely in the form of poems. The writer, Ruth Padel, is the great-great-granddaughter of the man himself, Charles Darwin.
The poems are beautiful, the research extensive (which shows), and the whole book is presented in a very delicate, graceful manner.
The book is filled with footnotes, explaining things, the sources etc. I had the fortune of meeting her this year at the JLF, where I got my copy signed (nope, not bragging).
So, if you are a fan of poetry or someone who wants to know more about Darwin, I would highly suggest you pick this book up.
that am fond of talking
and hardly ever out of spirits,
should so entirely rest
my notions of happiness
on quiet. The explanation, I believe,
is very simple. During the voyage
my whole pleasure was derived
from what passed in my own mind
admiring by myself extraordinary views
while travelling wild desert
and glorious forest. Excuse
this much egotism! I give it to you
because you will soon teach me
there's greater happiness
than building theories
and accumulating the facts
in silence and solitude.
This is, as the cover states, a biography of Darwin, written entirely in the form of poems. The writer, Ruth Padel, is the great-great-granddaughter of the man himself, Charles Darwin.
The poems are beautiful, the research extensive (which shows), and the whole book is presented in a very delicate, graceful manner.
The book is filled with footnotes, explaining things, the sources etc. I had the fortune of meeting her this year at the JLF, where I got my copy signed (nope, not bragging).
So, if you are a fan of poetry or someone who wants to know more about Darwin, I would highly suggest you pick this book up.