C: Poems

The title of this volume stands for the 100 poems in Chappell's ( Source ) collection and suggests the technical compression that pervades the text. More than a quarter of the poems are imitations of the Latin poets and of a variety of European writers, including Eduard Morike and Paul Eluard. The balance of the volume is patterned on the classical forms of epigram, satire and riddle. In general, the verse is amusing and intelligent, the work of a well-educated reader of poetry, reflecting his familiarity with and fondness for classical literature. When the work falls short, it does so because the poems do not seem completely contemporary. One poem, for instance, compares the epigrams in the volume to telegrams delivering ``intelligence / With such a sudden blaze / The shine can make us wince.'' Though the language is pleasing, it is anachronistic in the age of fax to think of telegrams representing speedy communication. Sometimes the language is forced to fit the form (``. . . To see the ducklings paddle as the sun / Rays through the trees / ''), resulting in self-conscious diction. Though the lines scan properly, the tone is often theatrical and emotionally unconvincing. (Mar.)