Henry Moore's Sheep and Other Poems

Laurence Steven is Chairman of the English Department at Laurentian
University and author of Dissociation and Wholeness in Patrick White’s
Fiction.

Glickman shows originality and a talent for ingenuity in her latest
poetry collection. This diverse compilation is divided into three
significantly different sections, the first being a nine-part poem
entitled “Henry Moore’s Sheep.” Glickman somehow manages to derive
significance from these woolly creatures usually overlooked as
commonplace. The second section in the book, “Driving Home,” deals
with many aspects of family life. The third section, appropriately
entitled “Camera Obscura,” is strikingly different from the previous
two. These poems originate in the works of various scientists.

Glickman takes the tired themes of family and relationships and renews
them with her exciting techniques. A startling and fresh effect is
created through her exquisite use of rhythm, her use of italics and
erratic spacing, and her disregard for traditional grammar and sentence
structure.

It is easy to understand why the poet dedicates this collection to her
family, as her poetry becomes vitally animated through the emergence of
realistic characters. The poet provides comfortable but realistic
portrayals of family life; she writes of childhood, siblings, life, and
love. She brings intimate personal experiences and subtle feminist
overtones to her craft, yet never leaves the reader feeling out of touch
or disconnected.

The only downfall of this collection is that the sections lack a sense
of unity. The third section is so extremely different from the other two
that it seems awkward and cumbersome. The collection seems to be titled
Henry Moore’s Sheep simply because it is the title of the longest
poem. Disregarding this lack of cohesion, the collection shows promise
and the themes presented are accessible to most readers.