The Forsaken Merman and Other Story Poems

Adults of a certain age will enjoy the nostalgic appeal of many of the sixty or so poems in this anthology. What a pleasure to be reacquainted with such former classroom favourites as 'The Wreck of the Hesperus' and 'Flannan Isle' and to have their underlying tragic note alleviated by 'The Owl and the Pussy-Cat' and 'Jabberwocky'. Add - among other 'moderns' - a Rosen, a Sweeney and a Causley and the result is an attractive reminder of the power, variety and emotional range of narrative verse. If the genre is to make a comeback, it is difficult to imagine a more eloquent sampling than this one - though today's young reader may need more convincing.