If Trees Allay an Earth Retrialling

"Larkin's way of pulling language up by the roots - literally, as we have frequently to go back to the root meanings of words to understand his unorthodox grammar - does not make it easy for the reader, but he is a rewarding and deeply original poet." -Isobel Armstrong





"No poet has ever given so much to trees - his thought, his attention, his invention - which lets him then, in turn, give these trees to us, and in ways that highlight the complexities of their architectures and their contexts, their interactions with the myriad communities in which they participate. This new collection branches out toward grasses, seeds, electricity ... all propelled by a wonderful tanglework of sound that reflects the environmental networks in which trees play such a crucial role. This book is a sheer gift - of trees and to trees, and above all, to readers who love them." -Cole Swensen