Field Requiem

Field Requiem is a collection of poetry by Sheri Benning that explores the violence inherent in the shift to industrialized farming in prairie Canada. The poems chart the ways in which a way of life collapses, the world of the family farm, and the speaker suffers. They also trace the still luminous contours of love for family and the land in rendering the horrors of loss. The book includes lyric poems that give voice to the affective consequences of loss brought on by climate change and factory farming and renew a sense of locality in the teeth of corporate farming practices.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 96 pages
\n Publication date: 30 September 2021
\n Publisher: Carcanet Press Ltd
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Field Requiem, a powerful collection of poetry by Sheri Benning, delves into the devastating consequences of the shift to industrialized farming in prairie Canada. Through her poignant and evocative verses, Benning explores the collapse of a way of life, the world of the family farm, and the profound impact it has on the speaker and the surrounding environment.

The first poem in the collection, "Winter Sleep," sets the tone for the rest of the book. It is a fever dream that blurs the boundaries between past and present, between the unconscious and the real. The poem vividly depicts the devastating social and environmental impacts of the agribusiness industry, highlighting the toll it takes on communities and the natural world.

The long elegy, "Let Them Rest," takes its cue from the Dies Irae and the Latin liturgy of the Requiem mass, mourning the many ruined farmsteads and razed communities in Saskatchewan. Benning's elegiac tone and powerful imagery bring to life the loss and devastation caused by industrialization.

Throughout the collection, Benning traces the still luminous contours of love—for family, for the land—in rendering the horrors of loss. Her incantatory voice rises from dream into dark vision, creating a haunting and unforgettable experience for the reader.

In addition to her poetic prowess, Benning collaborates with her sister Heather Benning, who constructs large-scale, site-specific installations that further explore and extend these themes. These installations, which incorporate elements of sculpture, photography, and sound, create a multi-dimensional experience that deepens the emotional impact of the poetry.

Field Requiem is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the essence of human experience and shed light on the pressing social and environmental issues of our time. Benning's work is a must-read for anyone who seeks to understand the complexities of our world and the profound impact of human actions on the natural world.

\n Weight: 136g\n
Dimension: 135 x 214 x 11 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781800171510\n \n