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"My heart throws its head against my ribs, / it's denting every bone it's venting something it has known since I arrived and felt it beat.Kate Tempest, winner of the Ted Hughes Award for Brand New Ancients and widely regarded as the UK's leading spoken word poet, has produced a new poem-sequence of electrifying power. Based on the myth of the blind prophet Tiresias, Hold Your Own is a riveting tale of youth and experience, sex and love, wealth and poverty, community and alienation. Walking in the forest one morning, a young man disturbs two copulating snakes-and is punished by the goddess Hera, who turns him into a woman. This is only the beginning of his journey. Weaving elements of classical myth, autobiography and social commentary, Tempest uses the story of the gender-switching, clairvoyant Tiresias to create four sequences of poems, addressing childhood, manhood, womanhood, and late life. The result is a rhythmically hypnotic tour de force-and a hugely ambitious leap forward for one of the most broadly talented and compelling young writers today"--… (more)
User reviews
It's based on ancient myth, but you don't need to know the myth to enjoy the poems. (Although I'd like to go and check out a few translations and definitely read this book again.)
Tempest touches on so many themes, sexuality, loneliness,
What I really appreciated is she was able to split the book up into four different sections, and while each section stood on its own, the book also carried a single narrative thread to tie everything together.
Don't like poetry? Guess what, I don't care, I think you should read this.
I'm off to go check out some of her musical and spoken poetry work now.