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Angel of Oblivion: Jean Sprackland's Haunting and Historical Masterpiece

Israel Bell

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Published in Angel Of Oblivion Jean Sprackland

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Angel of Oblivion

by Jean Sprackland

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2565 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	250 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

Jean Sprackland's Angel of Oblivion is a stunning and unforgettable work of poetry that explores the haunting legacy of the First World War and the enduring power of love and memory. Through a series of interconnected poems, Sprackland gives voice to the countless young men who lost their lives in the trenches, as well as the women who loved and mourned them.

The poems in Angel of Oblivion are spare and unsentimental, yet they are also deeply moving and evocative. Sprackland's language is precise and imagistic, and her poems create a vivid and visceral sense of the horrors of war. In the poem "The Drowned Man," for example, she writes:

> He lies in state, a waterlogged > king, his crown of weeds > and river silt a poor exchange > for the cap he wore at Mons.

The poem's simple but powerful imagery conveys the tragedy of a young man who has been killed in action, and the sense of loss and grief that his family and loved ones will feel.

In addition to her exploration of the war's human cost, Sprackland also examines the ways in which the war has shaped our collective memory. In the poem "The Poppy Field," she writes:

> We walk among the poppies, > their scarlet petals like a field > of blood, a reminder > of all that has been lost.

The poem's imagery is both beautiful and haunting, and it serves to remind us of the sacrifices that have been made in the name of war.

Angel of Oblivion is a powerful and moving work of poetry that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. Sprackland's poems are a testament to the human cost of war, and they serve as a reminder of the importance of love, memory, and hope.

About Jean Sprackland

Jean Sprackland is a British poet and novelist. She was born in 1964 and grew up in Warwickshire, England. She studied English at the University of Cambridge and worked as a teacher and journalist before becoming a full-time writer.

Sprackland's work has been widely praised for its beauty, intelligence, and emotional depth. She has won numerous awards, including the Costa Poetry Award and the Forward Poetry Prize. Her work has been translated into many languages and has been anthologized in numerous collections.

Sprackland is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a member of the Order of the British Empire. She lives in London with her husband and two children.