Stones to Harvest

Edward L. Edmonds is a professor of English at the University of Prince
Edward Island.

The quotation from Ezra Pound that appears on the flyleaf of Stones to
Harvest—“amo ergo sum and in just that proportion”—aptly
encapsulates the theme and content of this book. Its four sections
(Seeds, Roots, Flowers, and Leaves) are about relationships: some
sensuous, others chillingly aware of love’s finitude. Beissel uses a
visual patterning of stanzas, which gives a striking antiphonal effect,
and is masterful in his use of language. He has a gift for microscopic
observation, particularly of birds (“A nuthatch stalks upside down the
furrows of the bark”), and for creative metaphors. An evocative cover
by Arlette Franciиre enhances Beissel’s tenth book of poems.