Subhuman Redneck Poems

Rating:
Summary: A must-have for anyone interested in modern poetry.
Review: Les Murray is quite simply one of the finest poets of his generation. He combines the earthiness of a Seamus Heaney with the passion of a Dylan Thomas. Add a healthy dose of humour and a deep and compassionate understanding of the falibility of humankind and you're getting closer.

"Subhuman Redneck Poems" is a book full of gems - I challenge anyone to read "Burning Want" or "The Last Hellos" and remain unmoved. Les Murray has the gift of being able to quickly and clearly convey a person, a setting, or a situation. The poems are very accessible, which must surely be a rarity given the prevalence of Post-Modernist babble.

He is a poet of, and for Australia, but his appeal is not limited to Antipodeans. From a discussion of cultural cringe ("A Brief History") to a heartbreaking look at the life of his autistic son ("It Allows a Portrait in Line-Scan at Fifteen"), he carries his audience effortlessly.

This is a superb book of poetry. But don't take my word for it - see for yourself why it won the 1997 TS Eliot Prize.