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In his
fourth collection of verse, The Endarkenment, slam
poet Jeffrey McDaniel zings metaphors across the page like
he's the Robin Williams of poetry. The images fly so fast
and furious that even when lines fall flat, they pass by mostly
unnoticed because so much is packed into each mouthful. And
when McDaniel is firing on all cylinders, his language sizzles.
While
he has gained some recognition from his slam poetry background,
McDaniel's poems do not lose any of their impact on the printed
page. He has a knack for jamming ideas together that at first
seem incongruous but create vivid images once they are given
time to sink in. For example, in his poem, "morning walk,
43 hours without sleep," McDaniel writes of autumn, "A column
of leaves/swirls in the air like a jacuzzi of autumn."
This
collection maintains the same mix of insight and humor that
readers of his work have come to expect. His subject matter
varies widely. One particularly touching poem, "Oblivion Chiclets"
deals with a mother's drug addiction. On the opposite end
of the spectrum is a poem titled "Boner Etiquette," which
would leave even the most mature fifth grader in stitches.
He also gets political in poems such as "The Real Dick Cheney,"
which features the insight, "honesty is the best policy,/but
there are other good ones too."
Sometimes
McDaniel's cleverness gets the better of him. The title poem
features some of the best lines in the entire collection,
where he explains that "sunset" is a misnomer; that we, as
a planet, actually turn away from the sun; and that if the
sun had its choice, it would "find some other planet to nourish."
There is a series of intriguing and fascinating ideas, but
then McDaniel suddenly devolves into discussing Bill O'Reilly
and the finer points of having sex with sheep.
This
misstep is the exception rather than the rule. McDaniel usually
does a good job of keeping his serious poems separate from
his more humorous ones. Each type is worthy of the time spent.
It's hard not to grin as the poet explains how modern technology
has rendered the heavy breather obsolete, "the 8-track/of
deviants." Yet he can also pull off stomach-punch powerful
lines that are so beautiful and perfect it's a wonder no one
has ever heard them before. In a reflection on religion he
writes, "You say/you got no faith 'cause you held the pillow
one night/and cried into it like it was one of god's ears,/then
got mad the next day 'cause nothing changed."
Stylistically,
McDaniel is fairly casual. Occasionally the rhythms of slam
poetry seep through into the written words, but he is largely
a poet of ideas and images. The seeming effortlessness belies
a depth of thought and serious talent at work.
McDaniel's
poetry will propel the willing reader through a number of
emotions. This collection is frequently moving and inventive,
with enough lightheartedness and whimsy to balance the heaviness
of the darker moments. The quality of the verse in this volume
will come as no surprise to those acquainted with McDaniel's
writing, but for those who have not yet had the pleasure of
reading this poet, The Endarkenment serves as a stunning
introduction to his work.
(May,
2008)
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