Reply to Oblivion

Reply to Oblivion, Donald Patrick Redheffers new poetry collection, presents poems covering over two hundred subjects, including aging, wit, democracy, flattery, love, poetry, religion, and war. Every effort has been made to retain those forms that characterize unforgettable songs of the past. Although rhythm and rhyme are critical, meter has been manipulated for artistic impact. They aim for a place where sense and sound merge into the beautiful and true. The poetry addresses issues of the head and the heart, exploring philosophy, government, and human nature. It revisits old ideas in an effort to make them live in a way not seen before. The poets mind wanders, not knowing where it will alight. Milton and His Kind Shelley, Keats and Tennyson With voices made to last Have been replaced by charlatans Who cry freedom from the past. Freedom from excellence Is the hallmark of their craft. Great intellects are rarely found In an artistic overdraft. The minds who might thrill The thoughtful and the wise Are seldom seen in poetry For the world has passed them by. What passes for verse Assaulting our mind Is unworthy of a race Spawning Milton and his kind.