Child Ballad

Child Ballad is a poetry collection by David Wheatley that explores a world transformed by parenthood, drawing on influences from the Scottish ballad tradition, Gaelic bards, French symbolism, and American Objectivists. It communicates the ache of the here and now, providing intimate descriptions of parenthood and the Northern Scottish natural world. Themes of migration and politics are never far away.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 138 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: Carcanet Press Ltd

In his sixth collection, Child Ballad, David Wheatley delves into a world transformed by the experience of parenthood. Accompanied by his children through the landscapes of Northern Scotland, he traces pathways laid down by departed Irish missionaries and wolves. He meticulously maps a rich territory of rivers, trees, and mountains, while also incorporating histories, some evident and others yet to be inferred. Stylistically, Child Ballad is multifaceted, drawing inspiration from the Scottish ballad tradition, the Gaelic bards, French symbolism, and the American Objectivists. Wheatley, an Irish poet residing and teaching in Scotland, creates a cultural corridor where diverse traditions coexist in dynamic balance and fusion. Spanning geographical and historical distances, he develops an aesthetic of profound intimacy, keenly aware of questions of memory and loss. Through the eyes of young children, the world appears vastly different, brimming with both gifts and threats. Wheatley offers intimate descriptions of parenthood and the natural world of Northern Scotland. He employs an ambitious range of poetic styles and forms, delving deep into history and geology. His poems resonate across languages through translation. Migration and politics remain central themes in his work. Child Ballad sings of midlife, relocation, marriage, and parenthood, weaving a tapestry of human experiences.

In his sixth collection, Child Ballad, David Wheatley delves into a world transformed by the experience of parenthood. Accompanied by his children through the landscapes of Northern Scotland, he traces pathways laid down by departed Irish missionaries and wolves. He meticulously maps a rich territory of rivers, trees, and mountains, while also incorporating histories, some evident and others yet to be inferred. Stylistically, Child Ballad is multifaceted, drawing inspiration from the Scottish ballad tradition, the Gaelic bards, French symbolism, and the American Objectivists. Wheatley, an Irish poet residing and teaching in Scotland, creates a cultural corridor where diverse traditions coexist in dynamic balance and fusion. Spanning geographical and historical distances, he develops an aesthetic of profound intimacy, keenly aware of questions of memory and loss. Through the eyes of young children, the world appears vastly different, brimming with both gifts and threats. Wheatley offers intimate descriptions of parenthood and the natural world of Northern Scotland. He employs an ambitious range of poetic styles and forms, delving deep into history and geology. His poems resonate across languages through translation. Migration and politics remain central themes in his work. Child Ballad sings of midlife, relocation, marriage, and parenthood, weaving a tapestry of human experiences.

Weight: 182g
Dimension: 134 x 215 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800173552