Desultoria by Seth Brock
Poetry often has a reputation as lofty and pretentious, something only the most educated, cultured and refined people can appreciate. But that’s simply not true — even Shakespeare, the pinnacle of pretentiousness today, was the common man’s poet during his day.
Poetry is meant to connect people on an emotional level, especially modern poets like Seth Brock and his latest collection, Desultoria.
Desultoria is a collection of poems detailing the rage, hopelessness, depression and blue-collar tedium of the average man — but also the hope, love, wonder and bizarre oddities that come with all lives.
A Journey Through Despair and Hope
Broken up into three sections, Desultoria has a natural and subtle flow to it that readers will find satisfying. The author’s despair and anger in the first section may seem overwhelming, until the second section slowly brightens with signs of hope, ultimately leading to a calming sense of triumph by the end of the third section.
Brock’s opening poem, “without divinity,” sets the perfect tone for the collection — honest, open and vulnerable, establishing himself as a humble artist expressing and finding himself through the noble craft of poetry.
This raw honesty is part of what makes this collection so engaging. Brock doesn’t claim to be a great poet — in fact, he’s your average working-class man — and points out that even the great poets of the world are no better or worse than those “laying bricks or digging ditches” (a topic he revisits in “another shitty poem”).
Connecting with Readers on a Deep Level
Many readers are sure to identify with the collection and the author’s struggles and find some poetic gems to hold close to their hearts. Those outraged at the state of the world will resonate with “how they’ll remember us” and “damned like flies,” while those who’ve known the woes of heartache and loss might find a kindred spirit in “closure” and “red dress.”
Blue-collar workers and other members of the working class will find their lives echoed within the lines of many poems, like “all day” and “it’s a drag.” Some poems, like “crows,” dive further into these feelings of tedious hopelessness, examining the finality, brevity and, perhaps even futility of life.
Powerful Imagery and Emotional Messages
Readers are sure to find themselves enthralled by Brock’s lyrical voice, drawn in by his powerful imagery and kept there by his poignant messages. Brock uses repeated images of war and vermin, of cats and various rotting carcasses, to paint the damned world he sees around him. But he also talks of angels, particularly the women and family he holds dear in his life.
Desultoria is ultimately the examination of one man’s highs and lows, of his seemingly mundane life and his contemplative, questioning nature. Told with the author’s unique blend of bleakness, amusement and wry humor, these poems are insightful and sure to touch many readers’ hearts.
About Seth Brock:
Seth Brock was born June 10th 1989 in Helena, Montana. He grew up in rural Oregon, where he currently lives with his family.
