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Dizzyrambic Imaginings Looking for connections and meanings: poetic, pathetic or profound? Or just drivel? Twenty five dizzy ramblings for your consideration.
Dizzyrambic Imaginings Looking for connections and meanings: poetic, pathetic or profound? Or just drivel? The dithyramb was an ancient Greek hymn. It was sung and danced in honour of Dionysus the god of wine and fecundity. Plato thought dithyrambs to be poetry in which the poet is the only speaker; while Socrates wrote “… not by wisdom do poets write poetry… but… like soothsayers, they say many fine things, but do not understand the meaning of them." Maybe dithyrambs are just that - mindless wanderings of the imagination – or dizzy ramblings of it – dizzyrambic imaginings! A notable example of a more modern dithyramb would be: “Alexander's Feast; or, the Power of Music” by John Dryden. When I attempted to arrange this collection of poetic musings various groupings occurred to me: nature; destiny; love and hate; future; past, and so on. In the end the alphabetic arrangement of the titles seemed to be just as appropriate as any, so there you have it. Twenty five dizzy ramblings for your consideration.
Excerpt
Sunrises and Sunsets
Sunrises and sunsets, Earth’s time-measuring
Yardsticks. Gifting mere mortals moments of
Wonder. Can we count years of fears, tears, joys?
Decades of loving bonds become seconds
With time. Looking back occasions, sensations,
Conversations gave value to ponder.
We measure our days in wonderful ways.
Through love and affection our children’s child
Is blessed with our joys; blooming and growing
To seek out the world, reflecting to us
New horizons, to make our hearts sing.
Sunrises and sunsets; who knows what they’ll
Bring? But forever I’ll thank you for the
Dawn, the days, the twilight and the highlights
Of my life.
Professional Reviews
J. SantoroonOctober 31, 2017
William Butler Yeats once said, “We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry. Whereas Edgar Allen Poe felt poetry was a, “..Rhymical Creation of Beauty”. Regardless of which quote resonates with you, G.J. Griffiths, “Dizzyrambic Imaginings” intertwine both, into a charming, intriguing, and educational book of poetry.
Have you ever wondered if we, humans, are a creation for sadness or happiness? Is man’s creation being a friend or foe to nature? Is nature a reflection of us or are we just atoms -formulated from accidental scientific sources or God’s spectacular show? G.J. Griffith divulges his innermost pondering about these topics and the microcosm of our roles within the universe. Love, nature, doubt, challenges, and courage that surround the morals of our human existence, are cornerstones of this collection.
My English professor once said, “Poetry should move you to places you dared not yet explore. You should also have to pick up a dictionary a time or two.” This quote is fitting for G.J. Griffith’s, “Dizzyrambic Imaginings”. I thoroughly enjoyed the use of comparisons, oxymoron’s, humor, positive, and deep-image provoking thoughts. To be honest, I could not find one poem that I enjoyed more than the other. While some showed the clumsiness of man or how one can be humbled within one moment, another could correlate a Robin being courageous-exemplifying life’s challenges for spectators to behold with awe. Even the preamble was insightful and provoked thoughts to the coming pages, just as the titles are as befitting as a king to his crown. G.J. Griffith’s collection of “poetic musings”, are grouped A – almost Z in a well, laid- out format. Don’t let the systematic format fool you; the flow and enjoyment are just as abundant.
“Dizzyrambic Imaginings” is a quintessential book of modern poetry, while looking to the past to understand our future. I highly recommend this poetry for everyone, especially those who have “Certainty Doubted” within all of life’s beauty and chaos. The poetry is produced using a simple form yet perplexes the mind and resonates with the soul.
G.J. Griffith is a retired science teacher, nature lover, loving grandfather, and is beginning a new, literary adventure within the children’s, science -fiction world. All his wonderful works can be found on Amazon US & Amazon UK.
Stjepan Varesevac Cobetson October 28, 2017
The poetry collection Dizzyrambic Imaginings by G.J. Griffiths at moments really caused dizziness. I am honestly not a fan of dithyramb in poetry because it reminds me of old times as I went to school and had to read some of the Greek authors. But I have to admit that the author gave the vent to writing this collection and through various aspects of thinking about everything made dizziness in my head. I have read the collection several times and I have to admit that it is very difficult to write a review, there are poems I like, but there are poems that have pushed me to give up reading. I love reading poetry and I like to me it intrigued me to continue to feel the author's thoughts, but in this collection, at moments I was literally confused until I read. I honestly have the feeling that the author has left his mind and wrote what he was thinking at that moment, but in some of the poems, I did not like it. Nevertheless, the author himself gave himself freedom and wrote about everything, and he could be praised for having inspired me with his poetry in moments of different thoughts. And that is also the basic essence of poetry. That's what I do not like someone else will be very good. Someone will surely love this collection much more, but to me personally. These poems are my favorite: A view from the cliffs, Glittering prizes, Ocra: a child exploited, One direction, RIP spider.
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Reviews for "Dizzyrambic Imaginings"
Reviewed by P M F Johnson
4/30/2018
I enjoyed the humor in this collection: "To some it’s just a mobile, / To others just a cell. / I had to name mine Alec / So smart it makes me yell." (From the poem, "Looking Back"). Most of the poems rhyme, which lends to their upbeat nature. More serious poems here often address our place in the world, via ecology or other sciences: "Snow, solar / Or lush green climes. Oceans, precious black rock. / All surrendered to homo sapiens. / His saprophytic brain reaching to take stock." (From the poem, "Images.") Mr. Griffiths is fresh voice in poetry, who makes many clever choices in his work. I especially like the lines, "We list their bell-like tinkling call, / As it adds to the piquancy, / Of a sparkling autumnal day. / Hope Nature's best is here to stay." (From the poem, "Goldfinches.") It's nice to encounter such cheerful work.
