Synopsis "Words To That Effect (in English)"
This first collection by Erich David explores a number of areas, ranging from the natural world to the very artificial world created by us humans in our attempts to deal with our short lives. In this vein, various universal subjects come up: Time: "I tried to stop the clock, because time was running out..." The natural world: "You trees, mostly green, still in leaf, Were startled by the mid-October snow That stuck to you like a sticky kind of grief-" Pain, rage, and denial of our mortality: "There you go, dying on me- like a candle guttering out in a gust; I thought we said we'd keep it light!" Estrangement: "Our last call, or last but one, Fell a little flat I feel- Who called who I can't recall At all." War and personal conflict: "This war now or a war or two ago? Is it all one or many wars? Hard to tell. The wars appear- All wars appear to run together now." The poetic forms he chooses range from the lyrical (personal) to the narrative and dramatic (dialogue). For the most part, rhyme is used, not structurally, but unconventionally, as simply another sound effect. An exception is the rhyming couplet scheme in 'Zanzibar Jones': "When Zanzibar Jones comes to town, all the women look him, up and down." Clearly, then, Mr. David's first collection is representative of widely varying themes, styles, and sound palettes that can pique a reader's interest from poem to poem.
